Silence Brings Pain
by BitterSweet Crazy
Summary: Ryu, a teenager who's mute and has a dangerous secret. When he's accepted into a new school, people begin to grow suspicious of him and his actions. How will he figure out what's wrong with him without losing his new friends? Highschool AU
1. Chapter 1

Silence Brings Pain:Chapter 1

Disclaimer:I don't own Dead or Alive and its characters. I only own the plot.

'Words' are Ryu using sign language.

 _Words_ are everyone's thoughts.

Enjoy!

* * *

It's the first day of school at Raven International School of Education, or RISE for short. It's a large school, with many buildings for different classes and activities. This school is for the students that are gifted in anything, including sports. Many students from all over the world apply to get accepted into this school, so it's very diverse.

But lately, the school life has been getting repetitive and boring. It's been a while since a new student was accepted, so most students are looking for a change in the way things are going. Good thing there are some changes coming soon.

"How was everyone's summer?" Hitomi asked as she walked up the steps to the school.

"We went back to China to visit family and friends," Leifang replied while Jann Lee nodded.

"We also went went back to Japan," Ayane answered for Kasumi and Hayate.

"That's nice. I went to Germany with my dad," Hitomi said.

"Did any one hear about the new student?" Tina decides to ask instead of talking about her summer. Suddenly, six other heads turn her way.

"A new student is coming? That's awesome! It's about time something changed," Jann Lee exclaimed, "What did you hear about the student? Is it a boy? A girl?"

"Why does that matter? Are you looking for reasons to bother the new student?" Leifang said while rolling her eyes.

"Shut up," he answered,"I just want to know."

Hitomi cuts in, "I heard the new student is a boy who moved here from Japan. Have any of you meet him before?" She turned to Hayate, Ayane, and Kasumi just to see them shake their heads.

"Well that's just great. Now we have to play guessing games about the new student. How do we know that he's coming on the first day? Why would he move from Japan to Britain anyways?" Leifang said while pouting.

"Leifang, you know that it's mandatory to attend school on the first day even if we won't do anything. Besides, he has to show up because I was asked to show him around the school," Hayate replied, ignoring the other question.

"You're just not telling us this information!" everyone yelled at Hayate. He leaned away out of fear, holding his hands up and saying, "I didn't know I was supposed to."

"Whatever," Ayane said as she stands up. "You're the one who has to sit on the steps and wait for this _mystery_ student. We have to get to class. One of us will text you if something important happens."

"Okay." As everyone starts to leave, Hayate decides to sit down and wait. _What if we have meet before, but I didn't know his name? For all I know we could've grew up near each other. Okay, that's a little far fetched but there's a chance. I guess I'll just have to wait._ He sighs and runs his hand through his hair.

* * *

 _I can't believe I overslept,_ Ryu thinks as he goes down the stairs of his house. _I don't even remember falling asleep. Considering what's been happening, I should have known better._ As he steps into the kitchen, he sees his father sitting at the table. His father, Joe Hayabusa, looks up at his son and tosses a set of keys to him. Ryu catches the keys and sends his father a questioning look.

"I think school has already started, but you shouldn't get in trouble since nothing happens during the first day. Your car was brought in yesterday, too."

' _Thanks. I guess I'm still getting used to all of this,'_ he signed. ' _Are you going to work today?'_

"No, I'm still off for a few days so I'll unpack these boxes. Be careful," his dad said while staring at him.

' _I will.'_ As he turns to leave, his father lets out a sigh. _Ryu, there's so many things in your life that you have to get used to, and some of those you'll never get used to._

Outside, Ryu adjusts the right sleeve of his uniform and heads towards his black 2015 Chevy Camaro. When he pulls out of the driveway, he starts to drive to the school. _The day is already off to a bad start,_ he thinks while he frowns. _I have no idea what to look forward to._

* * *

 _Forty-five minutes have passed, and I'm still sitting here,_ Hayate mentally complains. As he stands up, a car drives into the parking lot. _Is that a student?_ Leaning forward, he notices that the person that was driving the car is walking up the steps. He stands up to introduce himself.

"Hello, my name is Hayate. Are you the new student I'm supposed to meet?"

' _Yes, I am. My name is Ryu Hayabusa,"_ he quickly signed.

Thanks for reading. Please review!


	2. Silence Brings Pain:Chapter 2

Silence Brings Pain:Chapter 2

 **To the guest who reviewed: I will try to make this a Kasumi and Ryu. It might take some chapters though since this is my first story and I want to make it the best I can.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"H-How about we start the tour?" Hayate asked nervously, starting to use sign language. _He's deaf?! The principal didn't tell me this part._ Ryu just stands and stare at Hayate for a few moments. _His stare is intense, like he has something to say._

 _He thinks I'm deaf,_ Ryu looks down. _This always happens._ Noticing that Hayate looks slightly uncomfortable, he starts to nod. _'Fine with me,'_ he paused, ' _But, just to make things clear, I can hear you. I'm only mute.'_

Before Hayate gets a chance to reply, Ryu steps past him and enters the school. Going to catch up with him, Hayate thinks about what just happened. _I hope I didn't offend him. I should've asked him before I just assumed that he was deaf. But, I didn't want to seem rude about it._

 _"_ Oh. Here are the lockers, and according to you schedule sheet, yours is next to mine. The Science and Math classes are on the first floor while the English and Computer classes are on the second floor," Hayate started," The theater is outside those doors on the left, and restrooms are down the right hall."

They go to the second floor, and Ryu starts to look at all the posters on the wall. _I got accepted into this school for a reason, I can handle this. I'm not sure why they put me in an art class,_ he thinks when they walk by the art class.

"I forgot! The cafeteria is on the first floor, straight ahead from the lockers. It's time for lunch anyway, and you should meet my friends," Hayate said, turning to look at Ryu. A nervous look shows on Ryu's face, but it isn't there after he shakes his head.

' _I have no problem with that,'_ hepaused _, 'But I have a slight problem with making friends,'_ he finished while adjusting his right sleeve again. The only thing Hayate does is smile.

"They'll like you. Let's go!"

* * *

In the cafeteria, people are eating and chatting with friends like they usually do. But, when Hayate and Ryu enter, all the conversations slow down when people stop and stare at Ryu. Hayate doesn't really notice it, but Ryu can't help but be able to tell what's going on.

 _I don't think all this attention is a good thing. Back in Japan, I always tried to avoid being stared at. Well, I'm not at home anymore. Things will be different here._

 _"_ Everyone! I want you to meet the new student, Ryu Hayabusa," Hayate said while smiling like that introduction was the best thing ever. Everyone at Hayate's table turn to Ryu, who's waving his hand and looking around the cafeteria. "Ryu, meet Ayane, Hitomi, Jann Lee, Leifang, Tina, and Kasumi," he continued while pointing to each person.

 _I should've wandered off somewhere, this is going to be awkward. But, I have to start somewhere, and they don't seem bad._ After mentally preparing himself, he decided to do something. ' _Hello. It's nice to meet you all.'_

After a few minutes of silence, Ryu closes his eyes and bites his lip. Before the silence is unbearable, someone decides to break it.

"We have a new friend! Honestly, we didn't expect that, but it doesn't mean anything," Kasumi exclaimed while standing. "All of us are different somehow. In the end though, it makes our group better than the rest!"

Everyone else starts to agree and soon Ryu starts to feel better. _It feels nice to be accepted. I'm not sure how long this will last though._

"What the hell? I decided to ask a question and I'm answered with silence," Jann Lee complained. Thankfully, Leifang decides to hit him in the head. "Be quiet, maybe he was lost in his thoughts. Besides, he looks like he could kick your ass."

"Before a fight breaks out, I want to talk to my new friend," Tina started, "What took you so long to get to school? If you don't mind me asking."

As everyone rolled their eyes at her question, Ryu just shrugged and answered, ' _I overslept. I also live forty-five minutes away so...'_ he trailed off with another shrug.

"Wow, that's past walking distance," Kasumi cuts in,"Did your-"

"Wait! If that's past walking distance, you have to ride to school," Hitomi cuts her off, "Right?"

Overwhelmed by the odd conversation, Ryu slowly nods his head. ' _Actually, my father works at different times so I have my own car.'_

 _"_ Really? So that's your car you were driving," Hayate comments.

"I have to see this car! You're the only student who can to drive to school! I'm so jealous," Tina said with an odd look. _I wonder where his keys are._

 _'I don't think that's a good idea,'_ Ryu signed while shaking his head. Ayane stands up and looks around the cafeteria.

"Nonsense. I don't think there's anything wrong with going to see your car."

"Yeah, we're your friends now. This will be a way for us to know you better. If Tina gets a good look at your car, she could learn anything about you," Leifang joined in with a smile.

After thinking about it, Ryu decides to let them see his car. _I don't think any harm could come from this. But if they knew the things about me that I know, they'll regret becoming my friends._

* * *

As the group leaves the school entrance, they stop outside the doors. It takes a second for Ryu to realize that he has to lead the way, so he goes down the steps to the right side of the parking lot. They pass all the other cars until the parking lot starts to have space. There, they stop to stand in front of Ryu's car.

"Oh my god! It's so beautiful," Tina exclaimed. While she looks at every part of the car, Jann Lee gets an idea.

"Tina, is there anything this car can tell you about Ryu?" he asked.

Before Ryu can protest, she speaks,"Calm, but dangerous. I don't know why, but I have that feeling."

"I thought the same thing when I saw him," Kasumi agreed. _It's like his eyes tell a different story._ She turns to talk to Hayate, but he started running to the front of the school.

"Lunch is over! I need to get to class. Wait," he turned to look behind him,"Ryu! Our afternoon classes are together. Let's go!" After Ryu catches up, Hayate stops by his locker. He pulls out two notebooks and two pencils. Handing one to Ryu while ignoring the questionable glance he's receiving, Hayate turns to go up the stairs.

 _What the hell is wrong with him?_

Failing to notice that Hayate stopped, he stumbles and hits his foot against the wall. _Even when I'm awake, it happens._ Frowning towards Hayate, he sees that they're standing outside the science class. Since Hayate is standing there with a look of terror on his face, Ryu asks a question.

' _Why are you standing there? You were ready to get to class thirty seconds ago.'_

 _"_ Well that was before I found out _she_ is still teaching here," he replied,"I don't think I want to-"

"Good afternoon, Hayate! Oh, hello Ryu! How was your day so far? I see you made friends with Hayate," Miss Hamilton said while walking in her class. She has always been very fond of Hayate, and he doesn't really like that. "How about you two come on in class? We could talk about what we will do this year," she said when she turned to the boys.

Hayate chooses to hang his head in despair and Ryu walks in like nothing happened.

* * *

It's the last class of the day before everyone gets to go home. Problem is, most people wouldn't find it ideal to have a gym class at the end of the day. Too bad the other classes were full, so there will be only eight people in this class.

"How awesome is it that we're the only ones in this class? They should have been thought of this," Hitomi said after changing into her gym clothes.

"Yeah. That means there's more space for us to get things done," Ayane agreed.

"We won't have to deal with people we don't like either," Leifang joined in before Tina gave her a high-five. Kasumi just sits on the bench and ties her shoelaces. _She's been quiet for a while,_ Leifang thinks.

"Hey, are those bandages on Ryu's arm?" Hitomi asked in a worried tone. The girls stop and look at the other side of the gym to see Ryu's arm. The bandages start below his elbow and go under his short sleeve shirt. Before any of the girls could say something, Coach Bayman entered the gym.

"Alright, it looks like I have a class for extras," he starts,"Let's start with a warm up and then I want twenty laps around the field. When you're done, meet in the middle of the floor." After everyone finished the laps and met in the middle, they all glanced at each other for short periods of time. The silence is thick, and it seems like no one is sure how to break it. Everyone, excluding Ryu, wanted to ask this one question.

 _What happened to his arm?_

Thankfully, Coach Bayman stepped out of his office walked towards the group."Listen. I've decided to introduce a different kind of sport this year. I was thinking it will be like a...fight club, if you can call it that. I haven't decided on how many people will be on this team, but there will be different fighting styles in it. Miss Douglas has approved of this, so don't worry about what's against the rules. Anyway, tryouts will be week after next. If you want to try, then go ahead. Make sure you sign your name on one of the papers I'll have posted around the school. That's it for the day, you can leave if you want," Coach Bayman finished. He went into his office and closed the door.

Before anyone can say something, they notice that Ryu already left towards the gym entrance. Making sure that he left, Jann Lee asks, "Am I the only one who wants to know about those bandages?" Seeing that everyone else is nodding in agreement, he continues. "Do you all think he'll tell us if we asked?"

While everyone is thinking about it, Kasumi joined in the conversation. "I don't think he would. I mean, he just meet us today and he was surprised we accepted him so quickly. He looked a little nervous-maybe overwhelmed- today. If we're supposed to know, I think he'll tell us when he's ready. Besides, we could be over thinking it."

With that, everyone left to get ready to go home.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading. Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

Silence Brings Pain:Chapter 3

 **Disclaimer: I don't Dead or Alive or its characters. I only own the plot.**

 **I will start calling Ryu's father Joe when he talks to make it easier (for me at least).**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Pulling into the driveway, Ryu turns his car off and sits there for a moment. _That was too close to being a disaster. This is exactly why I avoided classes like that. As soon as they see the bandages, they stare holes into my body. I could tell they were dying to ask about it. At least they didn't._

When he entered his new home, he looks at how his father decorated the living room. At first, it was just a room with light gray walls and boxes everywhere. Now there's a black couch in the middle of the room with two armchairs on each side of it. There's a bookshelf on the left side of the window, next to the television sitting on a red entertainment stand. In front of the couch is a glass coffee table with a simple red rug underneath it. Pictures are hung on the wall in white pictures frames. Ryu just shakes his head and gives a small smile.

 _Looks like father outdid himself. It reminds me of home, and I need that right now._

"Ryu, my son! Guess what I just found," Joe said when he walked out of the kitchen. He's carrying a box with the words 'Sketches' written on it.

' _Is that what I think it is?'_

"If you think it's a box filled with your old sketch books, then it is! Ryu, it's been months since you drew something. I just figured I'll give them to you since its the last box I haven't unpacked."

 _'Thank you. That's odd, considering I have an art class on my schedule.'_

 _"_ Speaking of school, how was your first day? Sit down, we can talk before I prepare dinner," Joe said before sitting on the couch.

Once Ryu sits down, he realizes that he's still in his gym clothes. _I'll have to change later._

 _'I made a few friends today. They're a little odd, but they seem like nice people. The teachers are nice, but there's this one teacher that I think is a little...off in the mind,'_ he started, thinking about Miss Hamilton.

"Maybe this teacher is very excited about the new school year," Joe responds.

' _That could explain it. Today was a good day, the only problem I have is what happened in Gym class.'_

"What happened?"

' _The class is basically for the extra students who didn't get into an earlier class,'_ he paused to point at himself. ' _And this shirt revealed my bandages. The whole class was quiet besides the coach telling us about this club we could enter. I would have changed at school, but I wanted to leave.'_

Joe takes a minute to observe what Ryu is wearing, which is a white V-neck shirt and black sweatpants with black Converse shoes. "Did they say anything to you?"

 _'No. I left before they could. I should go change_ _while I feel like it,'_ he answered before standing up. Joe nodded and told him while going in the kitchen, "Alright. I'll call you when dinner is ready."

Once Ryu made it to his room, he took off his shoes and unpacked his gym bag. Setting today's school uniform in the dirty clothes basket, he turns towards his closet. _This is basically what I wear to bed, I rather not change._ He goes into his closet and takes out another white shirt and pair of black sweatpants. He sets them in the gym bag and places it by the door. _I'll put that in my car after dinner. I should go see what my father is making._

Before he leaves, he looks around his bedroom. It looks a little plain, besides the large drawing of a dragon wrapped around a sword that hangs above his bed. He grabs the sketchbooks from the box and places them one the desk on the right side his his bed. After looking around again, he went down stairs to the kitchen.

Walking into the kitchen, he sees his father setting food on the table. "I was about to call you, but you came just in time," Joe said before sitting down. He sits down and prepares himself a plate. Ryu does the same thing, and it's quiet during dinner. His father finds a way to start a conversation.

"Ryu, if this question doesn't bother you I want you to answer it for me. How does it feel when that happens?" he asked while gesturing to Ryu's arm.

Ryu stops what he's doing and stares at his arm. _There's not much I want to say right now. I know he still worries about the chances of me making it through the night._ He looks back at his father and tries to answer the question.

 _'I apologize, but I don't think I want to talk about it now.'_

 _"_ Don't apologize, you had the option to answer if you wanted to. Do you think a doctor could figure out what's wrong if you were examined?" Ryu just shakes his head, starting to feel that his father doesn't understand. _He thinks there's some type of medicine to make this go away. I already know there isn't any._

 _'I'm not as hungry as I was at first. I think I'll just go get ready for school.'_ Ryu cleared his plateand placed it in the sink. He goes to his room, ignoring his father's calls. _I don't understand. I'm his son, and he doesn't see that there isn't a solution to my problem._

 _.._

Later that night, Ryu is sitting on his bed with his phone charging near him. _I should change these bandages, though it might not help._ He goes to the bathroom and pulls out a first aid kit. He pulls off his shirt and removes the bandages on his arm. There are three scars next to each other trailing from below his elbow to his shoulder. Looking at the rest of his body, he sees four scars on his left arm, two on the right side of his chest, and one starting from above his navel that curves around to his back. _That one sent me to the hospital._ He wraps his arm again and sits back on his bed.

 _I don't think I can do this again._ He taps his phone to check the time. _It's only 8:30 and I wake up for school at 7:00 a.m. I could stay up, but I really haven't slept in days. That's why I fell asleep last night. If only I had a way to avoid this._

He leans back with his arms behind his head. _I could stay up tonight and ask father to call the school in the morning. But I don't know if it will happen if I sleep during the day._ He sighs and stare at the ceiling, trying to figure out what he can do. _Everytime it happens it feels like I been sleep for a few minutes. When I wake up it's only been one or two hours since I was awake. I can never go back to sleep after since I have to tend to my wounds._

He stands up and looks outside his window. _Maybe if I just go to sleep now, it won't be as bad as it usually is. There's always...too much pain. I can never see the real damage until I clean up all the blood. I've been dealing with this for years. I don't think I have a way out._

He just closes the curtains and gets back in bed. Before he goes to sleep, he removes his shirt and the bandages. _What are they going to do this time?_

 _.._

 **Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

Silence Brings Pain: Ch.4

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

It's about 2:00 in the morning, and almost everyone in the city is asleep. The sun still has a few hours before it has to rise, so everything is peaceful at the moment. Sadly, things don't always go well for a certain teenager when he goes to sleep.

After deciding to accept his fate, Ryu went to sleep that night. He was still for a while, but it started to seem like he was getting restless. It's silent in his room, but it's not the outside world that disrupts his peace.

Suddenly, Ryu sat up in his bed, knocking over a lamp that was near by. His body rolled and landed on the floor, getting pieces of glass in his arms. Ignoring the sting in his arms, he tried to move towards the bathroom. He wasn't sure where the injuries were, his body hurt and the pain was unbearable at the moment. As soon as he was able to stand, his father rushed in the room and turned on the lights.

"Ryu! What happened? Don't move I'll go get the first aid kit," Joe said when he saw his son with blood and cuts on multiple parts of his body. Ryu just leaned against his closet door, trying to get himself to stop shaking. _Why am I shaking so much? This is worse than it usually is!_

Joe came back in the room with the first aid, trying to figure out where Ryu's injuries are. "Ryu, I need you to stop shaking for a moment. Look at me, Ryu!" he yelled when Ryu's emerald eyes started to close. When his eyes opened again, Joe continued, "I'm about to take care of the scratches on your stomach," he said, remembering how talking calms his son down in situations like this. _This is not a normal injury or situation. But, it could help._

It takes a few minutes to clean up the blood on Ryu's stomach, but Joe can clearly see what caused his son all this pain. There are two scratches on each side of his stomach, but they aren't too deep. _Where could injuries like this come from? Now I understand why he didn't want to talk about it. This is the first time I've seen it up close._

"I'm done. You should rub this cream over those cuts on your arms, it'll make them heal quicker," he said, placing a jar of cream beside Ryu. Ryu finished pulling the glass out of his arms and put some of the cream on his arms.

"Do you remember what was going on before this happened?" Joe asked, leaning against the doorway.

 _'No. I can never remember.'_ Ryu ran his hand through his hair then looked at his father. _'What did the...scratches look like?'_

"There were two on each side of your stomach," he paused and looked at the clock, "Do you think you could get some rest? It's only 3:00 a.m."

Ryu took a moment to think, crossing his legs while he's still on the floor. He looked at his father and shook his head. ' _I don't think so . I never go back to sleep after this happens.'_

 _"_ I understand. I have to go to work today, so I'm going back to my room. Remind me to get you another lamp," Joe said while leaving the room. As he walked down the hallway, Joe thought about everything that just happened. _He treats this as if it's not life threatening._ _I can not just sit back and let this happen to my son. He's going to a doctor as soon as possible._

 _..._

Later that morning, Ryu was leaning against his car watching students walk around while messing with the headphones around his neck. He checked his phone, rolling his eyes at the time. _I just got here, and I'm already ready to leave. At least I got a few hours of sleep._

"Good morning, Ryu!"

Ryu stopped what he was doing and looked around to see who called his name. His eyes stopped and landed on Hitomi, who was being followed by the rest of the group. He waved his hand, noticing that they have worried looks on their faces.

Before anyone got to say something, the bell rang for the beginning of class. Tina groaned loudly, walking away with everyone else except for Kasumi. She turned and looked at Ryu, who stared back and was waiting for her to say something.

"Are you coming? We have morning classes together," she asked with a smile. He raises a brow, questioning how she knows what classes he has to go to.

"Oh. About that, Hayate took a picture of your schedule and sent us pictures of it," she said with a small blush on her face.

 _Well if that isn't creepy,_ Ryu thought while walking next to Kasumi. After realizing that he didn't actually talk to Kasumi when they met, Ryu takes a minute to look at her out of the corner of his eye. Kasumi didn't notice any of this though, since she was occupied with her thoughts.

 _What could I say to start a conversation? I know it would be wrong to say anything about yesterday,_ she thought while glancing at Ryu from time to time. _I want to know more about him._

They made it to the first class of the morning, which is art. Students are sitting with friends and talking while the teacher, Miss Smith, places sketchbooks on each table. Kasumi walked past some of the students and sat at a table by a window. She motioned for Ryu to sit next to her. Ryu hesitated to sit down next to her, but didn't mind since the table was at the back of the class.

"Good morning, students! I know it's only the second day of school, but I want you all to draw something about yourself. If you want, you can talk to your friends while you draw," Miss Smith said before sitting at her desk.

Taking this as her chance to get to know Ryu, Kasumi looks over to see that he's already started to draw something. It also looks like he's listening to music, though he only has one ear bud in his ear. Regardless, she decided to strike up a conversation.

"Ryu, what made you want to come to this school? I mean, I moved from Japan too but I'm just wondering," Kasumi asked, moving her pencil around before looking at him. Ryu froze, turning to look at her with a nervous expression.

' _I don't know.'_

Kasumi doesn't get a chance to reply, since Ryu just goes back to drawing. _Maybe that was the wrong question to ask. But, why is he so distant? It's like he doesn't want to be around anyone._

 _..._

It's lunch, and all the students are either going outside or to the cafeteria. Ryu is walking to the cafeteria with his head down, thinking to himself. _The lack of sleep is starting to catch up with me. I didn't mean to be rude when Kasumi asked that question, I just didn't want to think about that. I'll apologize when I see her._

 _"_ Hey! Watch where the hell you're going!"

When Ryu looked to see who he bumped into, he saw a guy with a low hair cut and scar on his face, otherwise know as Rig. Before Ryu gets a chance to apologize, Rig continued trying to make a scene in the middle of the cafeteria.

"Who do you think you are?! Wait, you're that new student, aren't you? Well, I don't like it when people get in my way and expect me to do nothing about it. So, you _silent freak,_ maybe I should-"

Rig never finished his sentence, because Ryu punched him in the face, knocking Rig to the floor. The cafeteria grew silent once they heard a loud crack and started to watch the scene unfold. Ryu was about to hit him again, but three sets of arms caught him and dragged him out the cafeteria. A few seconds later, students started to talk about what they just witnessed.

"No one ever stood up to Rig like that!"

"I think that guy broke his nose!"

"I think he deserved it," Hitomi said, turning to the girls. Tina nodded her head and Ayane spent a another minute watching Rig try to keep his pride while students talked about him. Kasumi went over to where Ryu was just standing and picked something up. She started walking out the cafeteria, but Leifang stopped her.

"Kasumi, where are you going?"

"I need to find Ryu. His phone fell out of his pocket when he was over there," she answered, leaving the cafeteria.

...

In the hallway, Ryu finally stopped resisting and was let go when he was in front of the lockers. Turns out, it was Hayate, Jann Lee, and a blond haired boy named Eliot who brought Ryu out the cafeteria. It's quiet for a few minutes, but Hayate breaks the silence.

"Do you mind telling us what just happened?"

Ryu doesn't answer Hayate's question and leans against the lockers with his eyes closed. Eliot turned to Hayate and Jann Lee and told them what he managed to hear.

"I didn't hear everything, but Ryu accidentally bumped into Rig. Rig started talking and I didn't hear what he said to make Ryu punch him, but it must have been some type of insult," he explained. The guys turned back to Ryu, who still had his eyes closed.

"Oh. Well, we will be back in a minute. Just...stay right here," Jann Lee said before walking away.

 _My patience has been pushed beyond it's limit. I'm done letting people think they can walk all over me._ Ryu reached in his pocket for his phone, but it wasn't there. Before he could worry about where his phone could be, his name was called.

"Ryu! Oh, there you are. Here, I saw your phone on the floor and decided to bring it to you," Kasumi said, handing Ryu his phone. After he checked to see if there were any cracks, he looked at her.

' _Thank you. I just noticed that it was missing.'_

"It wasn't a problem. I'll be worried if I lost my phone," she replied with a smile.

 _'Can I see your phone?'_

Although she was confused by his question, she gave Ryu her phone. _I usually don't do things like this. I guess today is full of surprises,_ he thought when she gave him her phone. He started to quickly type something on her phone, though she couldn't see what it was from where she stood. When he finished he gave her the phone and got ready to go to class.

' _I should go to class. I'll talk to you later.'_

She didn't get to respond since he left to go to class. _He looked nervous. Why?_ She went through her phone to see the answer to her question. _He gave me his number! It's like he sensed that I wanted it! Wait, there's a note here..._

-Kasumi, I apologize for being rude this morning. I was just tired and didn't feel like talking. If you're still willing to talk to me, my number is in your phone. Based on my actions today, I guess I'm being bold.-Ryu

 _He wasn't rude at all! Now I know why he kept glancing at me while he was typing this._ She went to her class with a very visible blush on her face.

...

 _ **I think I should stop here. Thanks for reading! Please review!**_


	5. Chapter 5

Silence Brings Pain: Chapter 5

 **I never thought I would make it to Chapter 5! Thank you, everyone who reads this, for reading! This chapter takes place the same day as the last chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

It didn't take long for Ryu to realize how his actions would change parts of his life. He was too deep in thought to worry about whatever the hell Miss Hamilton was talking about. He closed his emerald eyes, trying not to give himself a headache. It wasn't often that Ryu would break someone's nose. It was rare that he would attempt to socialize, regardless of if it happens in or out of school. Remembering that he had bandages on his stomach, he noticed that he hasn't felt any pain considering how much he moved today. _They could have already healed. I'll have to check later today._

 _"_ Excuse me, but Miss Douglas wants to see Ryu Hayabusa in her office," Eliot said to Miss Hamilton, bringing Ryu back to reality. He stood up and followed Eliot to the office. _Just when I thought today couldn't get any more stressful._

When he entered the office, he saw the boy from earlier sitting across from a woman with long blond hair and blue eyes. Coach Bayman was standing next to her to stop anything that could happen. There was another chair for him that was placed a good amount of space away from the boy.

"Hello, Ryu. Take a seat, we have some things to discuss," she said while he sat down. "Now, I heard that there was a problem in the cafeteria. Which one of you are willing to tell us what happened?"

"All I have to say is that it wasn't my fault. I wouldn't be in here if he didn't break my nose," Rig started, trying to sound like he was the innocent victim in the situation. "If he apologized when he bumped into me, everything would've been alright."

 _Who the hell does he think he is? I can't screw this up now._ Ryu leaned forward in his chair, trying to get his thoughts together. When he leaned back, he started to tell his side of the story. _'I did accidentally bump into him. Before I could apologize, he started making a scene for attention. If he didn't call me a silent freak, I wouldn't have hit him.'_

Her eyes widened, then she asked Rig, "Did you really call him that? That is unacceptable."

"I didn't call him that! He could be making that up to get out of trouble," Rig said while shaking his head.

"Well in that case, maybe Ryu should go home today. I feel as though this could lead to future conflict between you two."

Before Ryu could catch himself, he decided he's had enough of being there. ' _That's a damn lie! I don't have any reason to hit people on my second day of school! He's acting like a victim right now, and it seems either way it goes, this won't end well for me. What's the point of explaining myself if my explanation doesn't help solve the problem fairly? If I'm getting sent home,then so be it. Just call my father so he can know that I'm on my way home.'_

The room is quiet after he finished, and it takes a moment for the adults to register what he meant since they had to keep up with his movements. Meanwhile, Rig is smirking to himself, proud of his little plan. _Who knew he had such a short temper?_

Ryu left the office and went back to class. Everyone was watching him as he grabbed his stuff and left the room. He was putting his stuff in his locker and didn't notice Hayate walking up to him.

"Sorry I wasn't in class, I'm putting up posters for Coach Bayman. Where are you going?"

Ryu looked at him while taking his keys out of his pocket. _'Home.'_ He started to walk away, but Hayate stopped him again.

"What? Why are you going home?"

' _Why do you think I am? Maybe you forgot that I broke someone's nose an hour ago.'_

 _"_ I didn't forget. Anyways, you shouldn't be going home for defending yourself. Miss Douglas might have a reason for sending you home. I have no idea what that could be, though."

Ryu ran his hand through his hair, getting frustrated with this conversation. ' _You don't understand, Hayate. If you were in my place with people who looked at you like you're the one who did the wrong thing, and the only thing you did was defend yourself, you would see how unfair all this is. I don't want to discuss this anymore. I might be back Monday.'_

Ryu walked out of the school, leaving Hayate with a surprised look on his face. He glanced towards the doors, then went back to putting up posters. _Something isn't right._ _They shouldn't have sent him home. But, why would he say that he might be at school Monday? I have a bad feeling about this._

 _..._

When Ryu got home, the first thing he did was change out of his uniform. He went to the kitchen to make himself lunch and thought about the reason he's at home right now. _Me and my damn temper. I stopped meditating a few months before I moved here, and today just proves that I should start back. No matter what I tell myself about screwing things up, I always end up doing that._

After eating his lunch, he walked into the living room and moved the coffee table over to the wall. He sat down in the middle of the floor and lifted his shirt to look at the bandages. He removed them and stared at his scars. Even though they appeared basically in the middle of the night, they were healed and looked like all his other scars. He fixed his shirt and started to meditate, waiting for his father to come home.

...

"Everyone, I really think something is wrong with Ryu. I mean, besides what we're already aware of," Hayate said. The group was sitting in the gym's bleachers since Coach Bayman had to leave in the middle of class. Kasumi's eyes widened and she asked, "What do you mean?"

"Think about it. Unexplained bandages, short temper, and it doesn't seem like he wants to get along with people," Leifang cut in.

"We just met him yesterday! Maybe if we give him some time, he'll start to befriend people. Like I said before, if he wants us to know anything, I think he'll tell us. It's not like he has to tell us his whole life story to make us be friends with him," Kasumi said.

"I agree. We should give him some time," Tina said, giving Kasumi a knowing look. _I think I know why she's so defensive._

Seconds later, Eliot entered the gym, looking for someone. When he noticed that the coach wasn't there, he went over to the group. "Hey, everyone. Where's Ryu? I'm supposed to tell him about something that Miss Douglas wanted."

"He went home," Ayane answered.

"What? That's odd, considering Rig is still in the office."

"Eliot, you're Student Council President, right?" Hitomi waited to see him nod his head. "Good, I need you to find something for me."

"Umm, that depends on what you need."

"I need you to find Ryu's address," she replied. Everyone else was shocked by what she wanted him to find. Eliot had to take a second to get his words together, but managed to ask her why she wanted his address.

"Well, I figured it would be better for us to get to know him outside of school. So...why not show up at his house? Remember, we did that when Hayate, Kasumi, and Ayane moved here. We could show him around the city while we're at it."

No one could find a reason to go against the idea. They all figured Ryu would be more comfortable at his home. Eliot went to see if he could find it, while everyone else planned when they would do this. They agreed on this weekend, then left to find Eliot and tell him the plan. After everything was settled, they went home to get ready for the weekend.

...

 **Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

Silence Brings Pain: Chapter 6

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dead or Alive or its characters. I only own the plot.**

 **This chapter went in a completely different direction from what I planned. I hope you all like it! :)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Hitomi, are you sure this will work?"

"I'm not absolutely certain, but it's still worth a shot! What could go wrong?"

"We don't know if he's at home," Eliot cut in. Hayate nodded in agreement and Hitomi rolled her eyes.

It's the weekend and the group is on their way to Ryu's house. Eliot managed to borrow his Dad's car, so Hitomi, Hayate, and Kasumi are riding with him. Eliot pulled into the driveway and turned the car off.

"This is his home? I like it," Hitomi said as she got out the car. She walked around, exploring the outside of the house.

"The address was on his registration form. This should be it," Eliot replied. Hayate looked at his phone then turned to the others and asked, "Where are the others? They should have been here by now."

"Tina's dad is bringing them here. He has to make sure we're not causing any trouble," Kasumi said.

Seconds later, a white SUV stopped by the house. Tina, Jann Lee, Ayane, and Leifang stepped out and the SUV left. They went to the others and Tina started the conversation.

"Sorry, I lost track of time. So, this is Ryu's house?"

"Yeah, we were waiting for you guys,"Hitomi said. She was about to say something else, but Ayane cut her off.

"Okay, we're all here. Now, who's going to knock on the door?"

No one thought of this question, so they decided to look at each other for a minute. Fortunately, Tina came up with an answer. "I guess I will. Let's go."

They went to the door with Tina leading them. She knocked and there was the sound of something breaking. Everyone shared a worried look and turned back to the door.

...

Inside the house, Ryu was fixing himself something to drink. He was surprised by the knocks on the door and dropped the cup. He swept the glass pieces together and left the room. When he went to open the door, he didn't expect to see his new friends. In a moment of shock and slight panic, he did the first thing that came to mind.

He closed the door.

He leaned against it and tried to convince himself that he was imagining things. _I didn't sleep last night, maybe it's catching up to me._ He shook his head. _No, they're actually here and I can't lie to myself._ He rolled his sleeves down and turned to open the door.

' _I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude but I didn't expect any visitors,"_ he signed and stepped aside. The group entered the house and started looking around. Ryu went to clean up the glass and came back to the living room. ' _How did you get my address?'_

The group turned to Hitomi, who was looking at the pictures on the walls. She noticed that everyone was staring at her, but what bothered her was that it looked like Ryu was glaring at her. _I really hope he isn't mad. It's too late to go back on this plan._

"I thought it would be nice to get to know you outside of school," she said with a nervous smile.

' _That doesn't answer my question.'_

"P-Please don't get mad! This guy, Eliot, did me a favor and found your address on your registration form," she said while pointing at Eliot. He turned to Ryu and gave him a nervous wave.

' _I'm not mad. I just feel as though you all could have asked me about this and I didn't get much sleep last night.'_ He sat down on the couch and waited for everyone else to sit down. When everyone was settled, Leifang started the conversation.

"We could start with some basic stuff. What are some things that you like to do?"

' _I draw a lot, so I guess that's something. Don't take this the wrong way, but I like time to myself. I don't really spend time with people.'_

 _"_ Why?" Jann Lee asked.

' _It's hard to explain. I'm still trying to figure it out myself, but it's just getting more stressful. I rather not discuss it right now.'_ He ran his hand through his hair and leaned back to look at the ceiling. Kasumi placed her hand on his arm and gave him a comforting squeeze. His eyes met hers, and he felt that she understood him in that moment. Suddenly, everyone's attention was directed to the news that was on television.

"It has been reported that there are more missing bodies showing up in different parts of the world. The causes of death look like normal scratches, but forensics say that the scars were fatal to the victims' body. Forensics also say that the times of death seem to be related. Each death so far has occurred the night after the previous one. It is unknown who is committing the crime, but the wounds do not appear in the same area. Some areas include the arms, chest, and shoulders. That is all the information we have right now. I'm Sarah Bryant, and we'll be back with the news." The channel went to commercials, so the group turned to each other.

It was very quiet and no one knew what to say. No one could believe that there was someone in the world murdering innocent people. Without warning, Ryu stood up and went to his room. Ayane was about to say something, but everyone else shook their heads. The front door opened and Ryu's father entered the living room. When he saw the group, he stopped and looked at them.

"Hello. You must be the friends that Ryu told me about. I'm his father. Where is he?"

"Hello. My name is Kasumi and he went upstairs for some reason after we heard something on the news," Kasumi said since no one else was willing to talk. He nodded and went upstairs. Kasumi sighed and whispered to the others. "I don't think we have any other reasons to stay here. We should come over another time."

"No. He could have went to go get something. We-" Hayate paused once he glanced towards the stairs. Ryu was walking down the stairs, rubbing his forearm. He didn't notice that his sleeve rolled up some, and Hayate noticed there were faint scars going up his arm. He shook his head and looked somewhere else, trying to avoid staring.

' _I had to find something. Does anyone want something from the kitchen?'_

 _"_ Not right now, but I need to discuss something with you," Tina said. "How long will it take for me to convince you to let me drive your car?"

The question surprised him but he came up with an answer quickly. ' _A long time. I haven't had it that long to just give the keys to someone.'_

 _"_ Damn. Well, can I ride with you one day? Please? You can't ignore my sad face," Tina said, giving her best sad face.

 _I really can but she doesn't have to know that,_ Ryu thought. He rolled his eyes and answered her question. ' _Maybe. Why do you like that car anyway?'_

 _"_ I love cars! That is one car I haven't seen in person yet and you're driving it! My dad doesn't want to get me one either. He claims I'm growing up too fast."

"Who plans on joining the fight club? I know I will," Jann Lee exclaimed. The others decided to agree and try out, but Ryu wasn't sure if he wanted to. He shrugged his shoulders and brushed off the question. Jann Lee didn't want to accept the response he was given.

"What? Why? You're saying 'No' as if you can't fight. We all know you can," he said.

' _I didn't say 'No'. I'm not sure if I want to join.'_

"Ugh, that's not telling me why! I saw you throw one hell of a punch yesterday! You should join," Jann Lee argued.

 _'Why do you have to bring that up? I didn't plan to seriously hurt him and I was in a bad mood. '_

"Honestly, I thought you were about to hit me since I was the closest one to you when we were by the lockers," Eliot joined in, laughing a little. Everyone else laughed at him and Ryu gave a hint of a smile and shook his head.

"Ryu _,_ you could quit if you don't like it. You should give it a try," Hayate said, bringing it back to the topic. After listening to everyone's reasons about why he should join, he gave in and decided that he'll sign up.

Everyone was happy with that response but it didn't last long. Joe came downstairs, talking to someone on the phone. When he finished, he turned to Ryu with an apologetic look.

"Ryu, you have to go see a doctor in a while. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

' _What? I thought-'_

"Let's not argue about this right now. Please don't make this difficult," Joe interrupted, rubbing his temples.

Ryu stopped himself before he could cause a problem. _'Fine. I'll go. But I already know they won't have the answers I want. How long am I staying?'_

At that statement, his friends started to worry about why Ryu had to go see a doctor and how long he would stay. It didn't ease their worries when his father said that he would stay for a few days. They were a little upset that they didn't know what was wrong and Kasumi decided to ask when Ryu walked outside with them. She pulled him away from the others and voiced her worries.

"Ryu, why do you have to go see a doctor?"

' _I can't tell you right now. I'll be back in a few days.'_

 _"_ You can tell me, I'll understand! I'm worried about you-we all are - and I have a bad feeling about something."

' _Kasumi, I'll be okay. I'm just going to see a doctor about something. I'll text you when I'm done."_

Kasumi looked back when Hayate called her name, then she turned back to Ryu. She met his stare and blushed. In a moment of bravery, she stepped forward and hugged him. Ryu was surprised but still awkwardly returned the hug, rubbing her back to make her feel better. He was the first one to break it, and Kasumi looked as if she didn't want to let go.

"Be careful," she said. He nodded, then she left to get in the car. He waited until everyone left, then went inside to get some things together for his doctor visit.

...

 **Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

Silence Brings Pain:Chapter 7

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dead or Alive or its characters. I only own the plot.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

After double checking that he has enough for his doctor visit, Ryu put his stuff in his father's car and got inside. He couldn't believe his father made him an appointment with the doctor about his scars. During the car ride, his father was telling him about the doctor and pieces of irrelevant information about the hospital. Ryu was worried about what the doctor would think once he went to sleep. He didn't get to think about it any longer since his father pulled into the parking lot.

When they walked in, the hospital looked like any other hospital. There were a few people in the waiting area and some nurses and doctors were walking back and forth. A doctor with brown hair and grey eyes walked up to the pair and introduced himself. "Good evening. My name is Dr. Jones and I'll be in charge of the observation. I'll explain more once we reach the third floor."

They got in the elevator and Ryu started to feel very nervous. _What if there is a reason for these scars? I could be under hospital observation for life._ The third floor was the psychiatric ward, and that made Ryu's mood even worse. They walked into his office and took a seat while Dr. Jones pulled out a clipboard.

"Ryu, your father told me that there are scars on your body that have been appearing when you sleep. Do you mind showing me so I can decide how this will be done?"

Ryu hesitated for a minute before standing up and taking his shirt off. He crossed his arms but the doctor grabbed his arms and held them out, looking at each scar. Dr. Jones released his arms to write something about them and Ryu felt ashamed of how his body was on display. His father looked both worried and upset, and it made him feel guilty about not telling his father about this sooner.

He didn't like when his scars were visible, they constantly reminded him that his nightmare was actually reality. He always wore a long sleeve shirt and avoided letting people touch him. He doesn't go out often considering people always watch him and stare at the bandages he can't cover up. He closed his eyes when the doctor walked around him and gasped at the scar that went around to his back.

Ryu put his shirt back on before the doctor sat down and continued. "Well, I think you should stay here for overnight observation. Depending on how they show up, we can try different methods to keep them from appearing. Follow me so I can show you to the room you'll be in."

They left the office and walked down the hall to a set of white double doors. Behind the doors, there was a red door with glass beside it that people could use to look into the room. There is a lot of space between the double doors and the glass and there are chairs near the glass.

Inside the room, there is a large bed with white sheets and pillows. There are blank monitors on the left side and a bathroom on the right. The nurses and other doctors are turning on the monitors and Dr. Jones turned to Ryu and his father.

"I think it would be best if we could start now. Are there any questions?"

"I don't have any right now," Joe said. "Ryu, are you ready?"

As much as he wanted to leave, he stayed there and nodded. _'I'm not sure if I can go to sleep now. I usually sleep later at night.'_

"That isn't a problem. We have something that could help you fall asleep. I just need you to sit on the bed and remove your shirt again."

The doctor went to talk to the nurses and his father left to sit on the other side of the glass. Ryu thought this was a bad idea but it was too late to leave. The doctor came back with a needle full of sleep medicine in his hand. He placed the needle in Ryu's arm and injected him with it. Seconds later Ryu was asleep, unaware of everyone watching him.

...

"Doctor! The patient is bleeding from his shoulder and isn't responding!"

"What? Step aside and get someone to bring in a stretcher," Dr. Jones said, rushing to the side of the bed. Ryu was laying on his right side and holding his left shoulder with his eyes closed tightly. A few nurses and other doctors came in with a stretcher, placed Ryu on it and started to move him to another room. While they were walking some doctors tried to get Ryu to move his hand but the efforts were useless. Joe walked next to Dr. Jones and asked him about what happened.

"I didn't see what happened. Everything was fine minutes before the nurse alerted me. We might have to look at the cameras but for now we have to stop his shoulder from bleeding."

With that statement, Joe had to stay in the waiting area for the rest of the night. Many hours passed and Joe only got a couple of hours of sleep after he was told that Ryu was okay. The doctor hasn't told him the extent of the injuries yet but they'll look at the cameras once Ryu gains consciousness. When Dr. Jones left again, Joe sat back down to try to get a little sleep.

...

Ryu suddenly sat up in the hospital bed but fell back when he felt a sting in his shoulder. His vision was blurry but he could see a lot of white. He looked at his surroundings and realized he was still in the hospital. He didn't try to sit up again but saw a nearby clock that said it was three in the morning. _What happened? My head is killing me._

He turned to look out the window next to him, thinking about what could have went wrong since he fell asleep. He was searching through his memories of yesterday when a nurse with black hair and blue eyes walked in. She didn't know he was awake and started to check his IV. He tapped on her shoulder to get her attention and she quickly looked at him.

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry, I didn't know you were awake. Are you in pain? Is there anything I can get for you?" She reached next to her and passed him a cup of water. He downed the whole glass, remembering that it's been a while since he had something to drink. She set the cup aside and he looked at her.

 _'Do you have something for a headache?'_

"Yeah. You know,"she paused to give him two aspirins, "I don't mean to be in your business, but for you to be sixteen it seems like you're going through a lot."

 _'I am. I always wonder what's the point of it all. Do you know what happened for me to wake up here?'_

"Well, everything was fine while we were watching you. Later, another nurse noticed you were bleeding from your shoulder. You lost consciousness on the way here and we had to give you some stitches. Dr. Jones sent me to come get you before he checks on what the cameras might have caught."

He didn't respond right away, choosing to sit up and look around some more. _I don't want to know what the cameras caught. I just want to go home,_ he thought. The nurse gave him some space to stand and the left the room.

...

The nurse led him to the meeting room where Dr. Jones and Joe were seated. There was a screen behind Dr. Jones, and Ryu could make out the image of him asleep on the bed. Ryu sat down next to his father when Dr. Jones started the video.

In the video, everything looked okay. Ryu was sleeping and a few doctors went into the room to check the monitors then left. A few minutes into the video, Ryu's hand moved to his shoulder. He suddenly looked as if he was in pain, then Dr. Jones entered the room. The video ended when Ryu was brought out the room. Dr. Jones didn't hesitate to give his thoughts.

"Well, I only have one idea based on what I've seen. Ryu, I think you subconsciously hurt yourself when you're asleep. There could be two reasons for this: nightmares or some form of trauma. Have you suffered from anything in your life that could lead to trauma?"

He shook his head. _'There's no way I could be doing this to myself. I never been in a traumatic event and I don't have nightmares. The only thing I'm suffering from are the scars and I've dealt with them for years.'_

Dr. Jones ignored him and continued, "Are you sure? Maybe we could use something to restrain your arms to keep you from hurting yourself."

 _He's not taking me seriously. They never do._ He knew trying to talk Dr. Jones would be useless so he turned to his father who was reading something on his phone. Joe put his phone away and stood up.

"Ryu, I have a meeting in a few hours. I'll bring your car here before I go with a coworker to the meeting. I'll be back as soon as I can."

 _'Isn't today Sunday? I thought anything work related wasn't done on the weekend.'_

"Me too. I should leave now. If anything happen, let me know."

Ryu nodded before his father left. Meanwhile, Dr. Jones picked up a black box and motioned for Ryu to follow him. They walked back to the observation room and Ryu sat on the bed. Dr. Jones opened the box to reveal two pairs of handcuffs. Ryu had no idea how to react. The last thing he expected was Dr. Jones to suggest handcuffs to keep him from moving. Before his thoughts could go anywhere else, Dr. Jones caught his attention.

"I know it's strange being handcuffed but it has helped some of our mental patients," Dr. Jones said.

 _I'm not a mental patient. That won't stop him from treating me like one though,_ Ryu thought. He just nodded his head and everyone got ready to observe. Ryu managed to go to sleep on his own since it was close to the time he usually goes to sleep. Once he was sleep, everyone started to hope for a different outcome.

...

It happened. Again.

This time, they had more medical equipment in the room so they wouldn't have to move him if he got hurt. When Dr. Jones went in to check on him, Ryu was still sleeping with a peaceful look on his face. The handcuff that was restraining his left arm was broken and there were two scratches forming a 'X' on his right wrist with blood slowly dripping onto the floor. His left arm was slightly hanging over the side of the bed.

Dr. Jones took care of the wound while a nurse cleaned up the blood. The scratches weren't deep or anything, so he was able to stop the bleeding quickly. There wasn't any blood on Ryu's left hand, which confused the doctor more than before. He also had no idea how the wounds didn't wake Ryu up in the middle of the night like they did the first time.

While Dr. Jones was thinking about the problem, Ryu woke up. He sat up and stretched his arm, noticing that his keys were next to his phone. One of the many nurses removed the other handcuff and he stood up to stretch again. _That's the longest I've ever slept._

Not caring about the scars for once, he went to take a shower. After he was done, he saw Dr. Jones in front of the monitors talking to a nurse went to pick up a small case and walked towards Ryu.

"I need to research some things before we try this again. Nurse Bell, give him the shot and make sure he doesn't leave. I'll be back soon," Dr. Jones said before leaving the room.

Before Ryu could react, a needle was stuck in his arm and he was injected with something. He pulled the needle out and looked around to see everyone leaving. He doubt if anyone would tell him what the shot was for, so he grabbed his phone and keys before leaving the room.

In the halls, he could hear people whispering about him. Someone must have found out he left cause they were walking around looking for him. He was on his way to the elevator when Dr. Jones walked around the corner. Ryu opened the closest door and discovered that it was a staircase leading to the other floors. He made it to the first floor and hid behind a wall before he heard a voice come from an officer's radio.

"The patient Ryu Hayabusa has gone missing. If you see him, catch him and bring him back immediately."

Before he could move, Ryu's head started to hurt and his hands were slightly shaking. Fortunately, the officer walked in another room and gave Ryu a chance to run to the parking area. He found his car after a few minutes and got in. He started his car and took a moment to tell his father what's going on.

[Ryu]-I'm not sure what's going on with this hospital, but Dr. Jones had a nurse inject me with something. I know it's not anything that will help me sleep but it's screwing with my body and mind. I'm leaving since they're looking for me right now.

[Dad]-What?! Ryu, don't do anything reckless!

"Stop! Get out of the car!"

He dropped his phone when he heard someone's voice. There were many security officers in front of him and they all had their guns pointed at him. He slowly put his hands up and some of the officers lowered their guns and stepped back. He noticed they were blocking an exit, so he quickly came up with a plan to get away from there.

"I'll say it one more time. Get out of the car!"

Ryu didn't listen. Trusting himself, he put his hands on the steering wheel and pressed down on the acceleration. The car went forward and made the officers jump out of the way. Ryu left the parking area and after a few quick turns, he was a good distance away from that hospital.

...

 **Thanks for reading. Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

Silence Brings Pain: Chapter 8

 **Updates might slow down since I started school this week.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Finally away from that hospital, Ryu was able to calm down a little and think. _I should go home. It's not like I have anywhere else to go._ His headache was getting worse and it was getting harder to think clearly. His hands stopped shaking a little and he knew that he had to get home soon before anything else happened.

When he stopped at a red light, he closed his eyes for a second. He opened them and noticed that his vision was starting to blur around the edges. He shook his head, trying to clear his vision although it didn't help. He still didn't know what was in that needle, but whatever it was is starting to cause some harm to him.

Moments later, Ryu's scars started to feel as if they were burning. The shirt he's wearing didn't help the problem, so he pulled over near a few houses. Once he stopped his car, he pulled up his sleeve to see that his wrist was bleeding again. He got out and walked to the trunk and got the first aid kit. He wiped off the blood and rewrapped his wrist before putting on a short sleeve shirt.

Suddenly, a terrible cough overcame Ryu. He doubled over and put his hand over his chest while the other was on his knee. He knew that either the shot was doing this to him or his body was rejecting it. He soon started dry heaving and at that moment his body couldn't take it anymore. He threw up whatever food he had in his stomach, but what scared him the most was the blood that came along with it.

Ryu began to panic while he dry heaved a little before he threw up again. The pain was truly unbearable and he had to lean against his car to keep from falling.

"Ryu? Oh my God, Ryu!"

He heard someone calling his name, but couldn't respond. Before the person who was calling his name could reach him, Ryu was on the ground, fortunately away from everything he threw up. His eyes were getting heavier regardless of how hard he tried to keep them open. The last thing he saw were his hands before everything went black.

...

A couple of hours later, Ryu's eyes slowly opened. His body felt a little numb so he knew he's been unconscious for a while. His eyes weren't blurry anymore and the headache isn't as bad as it was before. Surprisingly, he didn't have any new scars though he was a little pale, which made his old scars stand out more. He managed to sit up enough to look at the room he was in. _This is someone's bedroom. Maybe it belongs to whoever found me._

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt something move by his leg. He looked down to see the last person he thought would have to see him the way he was in his previous state- Kasumi. She was in a chair and leaning on the bed with her head on her arms, asleep. Her eyes looked slightly puffy but besides that her face looked peaceful.

Ryu was beyond shocked, so he tried to put some pieces together about this. _She was crying. There's a chance she was the one who called my name before I passed out. Even if it wasn't her, I don't like people seeing me in that type of situation. I wonder how long she's been right here._ He turned to a window and saw that it was night time. He closed his eyes but opened them when Kasumi moved again. He turned back to see her stretching and rubbing her eyes.

When she fully opened her eyes, she looked over and saw a pair of emerald eyes looking back at her. She didn't react at first, but soon leaned over and wrapped her arms around Ryu's neck. He hugged her back when he felt something wet on his neck and heard her trying to stop her sobs. He moved over on the bed and pulled her on it, continuing to hold her.

She pulled him closer as if anything could take him away and kept crying. She was his priority right now, and he needed a way to calm her down. Unfortunately, there wasn't much he could do beside hold her. Her shoulders were shaking, so he readjusted his arms to hold her better. _I didn't know she was worried this much. I should've texted her to at least let her know I was okay before everything went to hell._

They stayed like that for another hour. Kasumi was quiet after she finished crying, and Ryu wasn't sure if she was still awake. He didn't let her go yet considering that she still had her arms around his neck. All thoughts on whether or not Kasumi was sleep stopped when she broke the silence.

"Ryu," she whispered, "I almost had a breakdown when Hitomi called me about you. I wanted to come over here by myself, but Hayate insisted that he should come along just in case. When we saw you, you were so pale, more than you are now. I couldn't stop crying and they tried to get me to go take a walk or something but I stayed here. I know this might sound weird, but when we first met, I knew something was different about you."

She stopped to gently place her hand on his arm then continued. "I'm not talking about you being mute, although it is on the list. Do you know how people say one thing but they really mean another?" She paused and he nodded his head. "That's what I think you're like. I don't think that you've ever said anything that you didn't mean, it's like your eyes show that you have more to say. I know I got off subject at some point, but I'm happy you're okay," she finished with a short laugh.

Ryu's eyes were wide as if he just discovered something that was beyond him. _She understands me more than I do._ He tapped on Kasumi's shoulder and leaned back so she could see him.

 _'I don't always have something to say. I just don't want people to treat me like I don't exist. Most people overlook me because I can't voice my opinions. It gets irritating and honestly makes me not want to be around people. It's bad enough that I have my own problems, I don't need anyone else giving me any.'_

Kasumi didn't know how to respond since she didn't expect other people to ignore him because he's mute. She continued staring at him while he looked at his hands before there was a knock at the door. Hitomi opened it with Hayate behind her and they were happy to see Ryu awake with Kasumi across from him. The two sat down on the bed and everyone turned to sit like they were in a square. No one seemed to notice the scars on Ryu's arms.

"It's good to see that you're awake. If you were still unconscious when we came in here, we would've took you to a hospital," Hitomi said.

Ryu frowned a little, remembering the last time he went to a hospital. _'I'm not going to that hospital anymore. They are the reason I had to leave.'_

"Did something happen?" Kasumi asked.

He nodded and started to explain. ' _You all know I had to go so the doctor could look at something. He thought I was the cause of it and had a nurse inject me with something. Some security officers were looking for me, so I left. Whatever was in that needle was the reason you saw me the way you did.'_

"That's terrible. Why would something like that happen in a hospital? It's crazy," Hitomi said while Kasumi nodded.

"I think there's something we need to know. Why did you have to go there in the first place?" Hayate asked.

Ryu knew this question would be asked soon, but didn't expect it to be asked today. He shook his head in response. _I can't tell them yet._ Hayate stood up and started pacing around the room.

"Really? I think we should know _now_ , because if _doctors_ see your condition as a potential threat, you should tell us before anything dangerous happens!"

Ryu stood up as well and replied, a look of irritation on his face. ' _It's not dangerous because it only happens to me! If I don't want to tell you now, just deal with it.'_

"Guys-" Hitomi started.

"You're going through a lot to keep this secret to yourself. Who the hell do you think you are?" Hayate said, getting impatient and stepping closer to Ryu.

 _'I'm someone who can mind their own damn business when they have to.'_ He stepped closer to Hayate as well.

There was a lot of tension in the room while Hayate and Ryu were glaring at each other. Kasumi and Hitomi didn't know how to get them to calm down so they didn't say anything in case whatever they said made the argument get out of control.

Meanwhile, Ryu had to leave and clear his head. He rolled his eyes and moved to step around Hayate, but he put his arm out to keep Ryu from leaving. "I'm not letting this go. Tell us."

Ryu looked at Hayate's arm and took a deep breath. Then he looked at Hayate and answered him. _'Get out of my way.'_

Hayate give him a disapproving look before grabbing Ryu's wrist. Ryu winced and quickly took his hand out of Hayate's grip. Hayate tried to hit Ryu, but he blocked it returned a punch. They went back and forth with the hits though neither one seemed to have an advantage over the other. The girls tried to break up the fight but nothing they did helped. Hayate managed to catch Ryu's wrist at some point so he twisted it a little, making Ryu grit his teeth.

Before Ryu could free his wrist, Hayate pinned him against the wall. His arm was against Ryu's throat and Ryu's other arm was pinned under it. Neither one moved from where they are and the girls could see the bruises that came from the short fight. Hayate had a busted lip with some bruises on his arms and Ryu had a scratch on his cheek and there were a lot of red marks on his arms from where Hayate was able to hit him.

"Hayate, let him go!" Kasumi said to break the silence.

"Not until he tells us," he replied, pushing Ryu against the wall some more.

"Why can't he tell us when he wants to? This is going too far," she reasoned. Hayate shook his head, refusing to let this go. A phone started vibrating and everyone knew its was Ryu's. Hayate slowly released him and Ryu pushed him away to go check his phone.

[Dad]-Someone had called me from your phone and left a message about what happened. I called the school and told them you weren't coming for a few days, but school will be out for a few weeks anyway since they're doing some remodeling. I hope you're okay, reply whenever you see this.

[Ryu]-I'm okay. I'll be home after I'm done with something.

He put his phone down and turned to see that everyone else was looking at him. He looked back at them and came to a decision about this mess.

 _'Do you really want to know what I'm hiding? Fine. Sit down so I can get this over with.'_

Everyone sat down in different spots but they were still able to see Ryu clearly. He sat down after them and thought about where to begin. _I don't think there was a beginning. I hope he regrets wanting to know my secret._

 _..._

 **That escalated quickly! Thanks for reading. Please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

Silence Brings Pain: Chapter 9

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dead or Alive or its characters.**

 **I tried to clear some things up in this chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

After mentally preparing himself for the explanation, Ryu looked at everyone to see that they were sitting down and waiting for him. He didn't understand how Hayate basically forced him to tell what was wrong with him, but now he's sitting there and being patient. Hitomi looked nervous and Kasumi had a worried expression. He lifted his arms, making sure that they can see the scars and removed the bandage on his wrist, and told them the secret.

 _'This has been going on for years now, I think it started around the time I was nine years old. They started out small so it wasn't hard for me to take care of them. My father always knew about the scars, but I just told him recently that they only appeared when I went to sleep. As I got older, the scratches started getting worse. I truly thought I was going to die from all the blood loss, but I guess that isn't the case. Sometimes when it happens it takes me a moment to stop the bleeding and I feel sick from the blood loss, but later I feel fine.'_

He stopped to run his hands over his arms then shook his head and continued. _'Most of the scars have faded over the years, but some won't. Hell, even if all of them do fade they're replaced by more so I gave up on waiting for something that won't happen. My scars are also the reason why I don't interact with people. If they get too close, they'll find out and think I'm losing my mind or something. The doctor at the hospital thought I was doing this to myself; I don't have a reason to cause myself this much pain. I can't stand it! I don't know whether or not I'll die in the middle of the night, so that's why I don't sleep half the time! Then I have to come up with these worthless excuses just to keep people from knowing what I go through.'_

A look a regret was on Hayate's face, but Ryu ignored it. _'To make matters worse, I can't get any help like other people could. I can't talk and it's not like everyone knows sign language, but I'm thankful for being surrounded by people who do know sign language so far. I want to be seen as a normal person, not as someone who can't handle themselves! I'm always patient with people, but lately I've been pushed to my limit on how much I can take. People treat me like I don't exist and after I prove to them that I can hear what they're saying, that's when I feel as if there's no point in any of this. I'm fighting against whatever is causing this harm to me and losing every battle.'_

There was a long silence in the room and everyone else was shocked by what Ryu just told them. Ryu was trying to calm down, he didn't even know there was that much pent up anger inside him. He waited for someone to break the silence, but Kasumi only moved over to sit in front of him. She stared at his arms then into his eyes like she was asking for permission to touch his arms. He held them out and she gently traced every scar with a sad expression on her features. Hitomi didn't move from her spot, she only wrapped her arms around her knees while Hayate broke the silence.

"Ryu, I didn't know you were dealing with something like that. I know my actions from before are unacceptable and you may not forgive me for it, but I want you to know that I apologize for resorting to violence just to make you share something so personal," he said with a look of guilt.

Ryu was unresponsive since he didn't give a damn about Hayate's apology right now. He was watching Kasumi while she traced his scars and he knew she had something to say. His mind felt like it was in a fog; he just couldn't get himself to let go of this anger. He focused on his arms, trying not to think about anything that could make him snap. He was extremely tired and wanted to go home, but he knew that the conversation was far from over.

"You're going through the worst thing imaginable and it's against something you can't even see. How do you get through the day?" Hitomi questioned Ryu. Kasumi let go of his arms when he looked at Hitomi.

 _'I'm usually by myself during most of the day. I was always singled out because other people didn't understand why I couldn't talk. Honestly, you all are my first real friends. I'm not really used to it, but it's nice.'_

"We're going to stay your friends, too! We may do things in an odd way-like that time we randomly showed up at your house-but we only did it to know you better! Trust me, Ryu, we'll have your back! Some of us more than others," Hitomi exclaimed, glancing at Kasumi. He nodded in understanding even though he wasn't sure what the last part meant.

"Y-Yeah! If you need anything you can ask us," Kasumi joined in. She held her head down to hide her blush and continued looking at Ryu's arms. Hitomi moved a little closer to them although Hayate kept his distance. His arm was laying on his knee and he was mumbling to himself. The others couldn't understand most of what he was saying, but he said something that stood out from the rest.

"I wonder how the others will react to this."

When he heard him finish, Ryu's head snapped up to stare at Hayate. His eyes were wide and he couldn't believe that was mentioned right now. After feeling a change in the room, Hayate turned to see everyone facing him. Hayate raised an eyebrow before he realized he had said that out loud.

 _'I don't want to keep them in the dark about this, but I don't think it's a good idea to tell them. It could lead to more problems.'_

Hayate said nothing while he glanced at his phone. It was almost one in the morning and everyone noticed how late it was. Everyone was also tired, so they chose to go home and rest. They agreed to keep everything that happened to themselves and got ready to go home.

Hitomi walked with them to the door after Ryu found his keys. He took Hayate and Kasumi to their house and finally made it to his own home. Joe was in his room sleeping, so Ryu went to his own room and decided to meditate for a while.

...

 **If you have any questions, you can PM me or leave it in a review! Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

Silence Brings Pain: Chapter 10

 **I actually wrote ten chapters for this? I'm so happy! Let's say that this is a not-super-serious-but-still-important-to-the-plot chapter!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The rest of the week went by without any major problems. Ryu was able to get some rest even though a couple of scars showed up. This morning he was up earlier than he usually is due to a weird dream he had before he was injured. He couldn't make much out of it and barely remembered what it was about. He got up to take a shower and decided not to think about it now.

When he was done, he put on a simple shirt and a pair of sweatpants before going downstairs. Joe was in the kitchen making breakfast with his back turned to Ryu. "Good morning," Joe greeted while grabbing the spatula next to him. Ryu got the juice from the refrigerator and poured some in two cups before setting them on the kitchen island.

He sat down and watched his father make breakfast. _I haven't eaten in days because of that shot._ He still didn't know the purpose of that shot, but that won't make him get over what it did to him.

"It's been awhile since we talked, hasn't it? Maybe there's some things we need to catch up on," Joe said, placing a plate in front Ryu before he sat down with his own. Ryu nodded in agreement and started eating. Nothing happened lately, but he enjoyed having these conversations with his father. He thought about the past few days and chose to tell his father about the dreams.

 _'I've been having some weird dreams. I can't remember some of them, though.'_

Joe paused to put his cup down. "Dreams come from your subconscious mind. Maybe what you see or do in your dreams is based on reality."

 _'The main thing I remember is a dense fog that I constantly walk around in. How could that come from reality?'_ he replied before finishing his food. He didn't understand where his father was going with this conversation.

Joe finished his food and took a minute to get his thoughts together. Ryu stood up to put the plates in the sink then sat back down to see what his father would say. Joe leaned back a little and shared his thoughts.

"The fog could be leading to something bigger in your dream, Ryu. What do you think when you dream about the fog?"

 _'I always wonder why I'm in the middle of this fog before I wake up with scars.'_ Ryu shrugged his shoulders and rubbed the back of his neck. He couldn't think of anything else from the dreams; it was mostly about why he's there and lots of confusion.

"Hmm. I'm sure you'll find out what it means. Not every answer to a question is straightforward, you'll have to search for it. I'll see you later since I have to help with a presentation," Joe said while standing. Ryu gave him a thumbs up before Joe left out of the kitchen. His mind kept replaying their conversation while he sat in the kitchen. There were plenty of questions running through his head, he just didn't know where to start looking for the answers.

He decided not to waste any time thinking about what question to answer first and went to his room. He put on some shoes and a lightweight hoodie before grabbing a sketchbook, some pencils and his keys. He flipped through the sketchbook to make sure it was the one with the drawings of all the scars he had-even the most recent ones. He put the sketchbook and pencils in an extra backpack. The morning news caught his attention before he left.

He sat down and listened after he put his wallet in his pocket. _Those wounds are in the same areas as my scars. I know it's not a coincidence, but none of this is making sense._ Ryu turned off the television before grabbing his stuff and walking outside, locking the door along the way. His car door was already unlocked, so he got in and started driving around the city.

...

After a hour of driving, Ryu found himself across the street from an abandoned house. He wasn't sure why he's there, but something didn't feel right when he got out the car. The house was dirty and old bottles were all over the tall grass. He put on his backpack and walked towards the door. It was already open a little, so Ryu pushed it the rest of the way and stepped inside.

The interior of the house had dust and spider webs everywhere. Ryu turned on the flashlight on his phone so he could see better. The floor creaked with every step he took and there were several holes in it, too. There was a hissing sound in the corner of what looks like the living room, so Ryu went to see what it was.

It was a small snake trying to move up the wall but it fell, making Ryu back away some. _This house is older than I thought._ He strode over to the door on his left and reached for the doorknob. Once he touched it, it broke and fell into one of the holes on the floor. While looking at the floor, he absentmindedly leaned against the door, making it open and no longer support his weight. He fell and landed on his back, causing dust particles to move around in the air.

Shaking his head, Ryu started to pick himself up and get most of the dust off him. The room was full of boxes and papers, but his eyes were focused on the storage chest in the middle of the room. He opened it and found some newspapers and two journals. The newspapers dated back to almost a year before Ryu was born and the latest one was from two years ago. The headlines were about murders kind of similar to what the news has been talking about lately.

 _I should look through these, but I'm not staying in this house longer than I have to._ After debating with himself, he figured it wouldn't hurt to take them home since the house might fall apart at any second. He put the journals and newspapers in his backpack and stood up to leave the house.

When he came out the house, he noticed that the sun was starting to set. _I was in there for hours._ While he was driving, he saw a diner and decided to stop there. As soon as he entered, a waitress greeted him told him to sit wherever he wanted to. He saw a booth towards the back and went to sit down. Ryu was surprised to see was a screen at the end of the table to place the order, but he wasn't about to complain about it.

He wasn't in a mood to eat, but his stomach growled a little so he ordered a sandwich and a Dr. Pepper. He watched people walk around outside the diner while thinking about what he found so far. _Those newspapers and journals should give me some insight. I might be the only one going through this, but not the only one who realized how strange these murders are._

"Hey there," the same waitress from before greeted. She had short hair that was black with a darker shade of red on top. She set his food and drink on the table and leaned back to get a good look at him. He was uncomfortable under her curious gaze and glanced around the diner.

"Sorry, I just never seen you around here before. My name is Mila, let me know if you need anything."

She left quickly to continue working, so Ryu started to eat his food. Something told him that he was being watched and he turned to see almost everyone staring at him. He didn't know what to do-he just stared back with wide eyes. A few girls were whispering to each other while young boy with his mother waved at him. He shyly waved back and finished his drink before he saw how dark it was outside.

He gave Mila the money for the food and left to go home. He decided on coming to the diner more often despite some of the customers watching him. _I need to read these newspapers and journals tonight. Screw sleep, my life might depend on this,_ he thought while pulling into the driveway.

As he was entering the house, Ryu heard something fall in the kitchen. There weren't any signs that his father came home, so he quietly walked towards the kitchen to see who was in there. He leaned against the doorway when he noticed his father standing in front of the stove. "Damn," Joe said while throwing away whatever that was in a pan. Ryu kept watching since he wanted to see what his father was up to.

"I knew I shouldn't have listened to that idiot," he complained. Joe sat down at the island and frowned at the stove. The was a faint trail of smoke in the air then Ryu noticed the burning smell. He lifted his hand and knocked four times on the wall to get Joe's attention.

"Hey, Ryu. I was cooking dinner, but this jerk I work with lied to me about something for revenge and I was distracted. Anyway, how was your day?" he asked.

 _'It was okay. I went exploring and ate at a diner.'_

"Exploring? Did you find anything interesting? Wait, where did you go in the first place? Work has my mind all over the place," Joe questioned, mumbling the last part to himself.

 _'I was driving around when I saw an abandoned house and decided to go look inside.'_ He reached in his backpack and pulled out the newspapers. _'This is what I found.'_

Joe looked over the papers and read what most of the headlines were about. "I see you took my advice and found some possible answers. This could be the beginning of the solution," he stated while placing the papers down. He patted Ryu on the back, happy that his son might find out the reasons behind his scars.

 _'I always take your advice. I'm going to read them all tonight and see what they're about. Good night,'_ he replied before standing up and grabbing the newspapers. Joe wished his son good luck before Ryu made it to the top of the stairs.

After changing clothes, Ryu sat down and got ready to read everything. The journals were next to him and the newspapers were spread out over his bed though they were still in order. _I won't figure out anything if I sit here and stare at them._ He didn't know what was in store for him, but he picked up a newspaper and started reading.

...

 **Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	11. Chapter 11

Silence Brings Pain: Chapter 11

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dead or Alive or its characters. I own this story though!**

 **I don't like this chapter, but there wasn't any other way I could have done it. Oh, and thanks for the reviews! I love reading them.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _This is terrible,_ Ryu thought. It was around one in the morning and he was still reading the newspapers. It was a lot of information to deal with at once, so in order to make it easier on himself he pinned a large sheet of paper on his wall and started writing and drawing on it. He was sitting on the floor with a pencil in his hand, staring at what he wrote.

 _The murders didn't always happen every night and it seems like there is more than one person behind them. I don't think there's a connection between the victims besides the wounds._ His eyes moved to the pictures and articles he had cut out and put on the wall. Most of the wounds were on the arms, but some places included the chest and shoulders. One picture even showed the victim with a missing arm, making Ryu question what made the media become so censored over the years.

 _These_ _deaths repeat but with different people,_ he thought while looking through another newspaper. He stopped when he saw a picture with a red circle drawn around it. The body looked like it was split in half although it was still attached near the waist. Ryu slowly put his hand on the scar that curved and stopped somewhere on his back. He couldn't look away from the picture and was starting to feel angry the more it was in his view.

 _Why would someone do this to innocent people? They have died in the most inhumane way possible! I will find out the reason behind this, even if I come close to death._ Shaking his head, Ryu cut the picture out the put it on the wall. He reached out and grabbed the journals off his bed. One journal basically had the same information as the newspapers so he picked up the other one. He looked through it and saw an entry from a few years ago. The handwriting was slightly faded, but he could still read it.

-June 10

-I think they're catching up to what I've been doing. I know too much about the murders, killers, even _him._ At the rate I'm going, my days are numbered short. I've seen the images, and I can't believe that I let myself get involved with this! Those people didn't do a single thing, but _he_ wants to see someone suffer. I know I will get killed for giving out information to the media, but the world deserves to know what they're doing.

-A few days ago, I heard a rumor that could be why more innocent people are being killed. Someone, outside the...group if you can call it that, is receiving the wounds that came from a victim on their own body. People say that if this can happen, then the person isn't really human. I've done some research and if this person is a descendant of what I believe they are, things won't end well. They're monitoring everything I do, but I managed to slip under the radar and read that dreams may have something to do with all of this.

-I'm not sure if this person is alive, but I know they're being put through Hell and more. I hope someone finds what I'll leave behind, maybe they can do what I can't and put a stop to this.

-Z

Ryu closed the journal and rubbed his temples. He was getting a headache from everything and didn't know what to do about what he just learned. _I am the person that rumor was about. What am I if I am not human? If they find me, it's over._

He didn't have anything else to go through. The articles and journals did help a little, but there are more questions than answers. He turned to his window to see the sun rising, patches of light illuminating his room. He fell back on the floor and looked at his ceiling in confusion for a long time.

...

Later on in the day, Joe was sitting in the living room. He was relaxing since he didn't have anywhere to go today, but he just realized that he hasn't seen his son since last night. _It's almost three in the evening and he's still in his room,_ he thought before standing up. He was about to go check on Ryu but the doorbell stopped him.

"Shiden? I didn't expect to see you here," he stated after he opened the door. Indeed, Joe's co-worker was standing outside with three teenagers behind him. Joe opened the door and allowed everyone to walk in.

"Hello to you too, Joe. Don't tell me you forgot about our meeting," Shiden replied. He glanced around the living room then back to Joe. "These are my children Hayate, Kasumi, and Ayane."

"I believe I have met them before," he paused to look at the teenagers before continuing, "Ryu should be in his room if you all want to see what he's up to. It's upstairs and on the right."

Taking the lead, Kasumi nodded and smiled at Joe. She walked towards the stairs, followed by Hayate and Ayane. They quickly found the door and Hayate decided to knock. There wasn't any response, making Hayate and Kasumi share a questioning glance. Ayane was about to say something before Ryu's door opened.

Everyone's eyes widened when they took in Ryu's appearance. His hair was out of its usual ponytail and there were faint dark circles around his eyes. He looked exhausted and there's a chance he didn't recognize who was standing in front of him. The only thing he did was motion for them to come in before going to stand in front of the paper on his wall. He took it down and folded it in half before he pushed it under his bed.

"What was that?" Ayane asked, curiosity in her eyes. Hayate gave her a warning look, but she ignored it. Ryu was busy picking stuff up off the floor so he didn't respond. After a few moments of awkward silence, Ryu sat down on his bed and crossed his legs.

 _'Nothing. What made you all decide to come visit?'_

"We found out that our father had something to discuss with your father so we came with him. You look tired," Kasumi said, sitting next to him. Hayate sat down by the desk while Ayane remained standing. She wore an odd expression but no one chose to comment on it.

 _'I am. I'll be okay though.'_ Ryu knew Hayate and Kasumi didn't believe him, but he needed them to go along with it for now. The last thing he needed was more stress, especially since school will continue tomorrow.

"You look like you're about to pass out. Almost as if you didn't sleep last night," Ayane commented. She crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one leg. The tension in the room was enough to tell her that something is going on.

"Ayane!" Hayate exclaimed. "You need to-"

"What? I only made an observation based on what I see. I must be missing something here," she interrupted, staring at Ryu.

 _'I doubt that.'_ He reached over to where his lamp used to be, picked up a rubber band and put his hair back in a ponytail. Ayane was about to respond but Joe's voice caught everyone's attention. Ryu made it to the bottom of stairs in time to catch a glass cup flying directly to his face.

"Shiden! That could have hit my son! Are you crazy?" Joe shouted. It seems as if Shiden doesn't care-the only thing he did was roll his eyes. He strolled over to the front door and grabbed his jacket.

"Relax, it didn't hit him." He stopped to tell his children they were leaving since it's getting dark outside. He turned and smirked in Joe's direction. "I see it's still in the bloodline."

Ryu was still standing in front of the stairs while Joe sat on the couch with his head in his hands. It was quiet in the house and Ryu felt nervous about it. He kept telling himself that he was alright but part of him didn't believe it. _I need to calm down and get some sleep._

"Ryu, don't you still have those stitches?" Joe questioned, turning to face his son. He knew that he was avoiding what happened before the visitors left; he just wanted to prolong the inevitable.

Ryu blinked and touched his shoulder before he nodded. Joe went to get a nearby first aid kit and-surprisingly- a pair of suture scissors. Ryu watched the scissors warily until he realized that it's been almost two weeks since he first got them. He brought a chair over to his father and sat down. Wordlessly, Joe rolled up the sleeve and removed all the stitches.

 _'I read in one of the journals that I might not be human. Does that have something to do with our bloodline?'_

"Honestly, it has everything to do with it. Long story short, you're a part of the Dragon Lineage. I don't know how your scars are involved in it, but it does explain why it doesn't take a long time for them to heal. The Hayabusa family is different from most."

Ryu couldn't believe how right whoever wrote in the journal was. He took a moment to think about all the scars he gained over the years. Now he understood why it never took more than a day or two for them to heal and the pain didn't last long. He lifted his head when his father placed his hand on his shoulder.

"I know it may be a lot to deal with at once, but you were going to find out sooner or later. That's why Shiden threw the cup, he wanted to see if all the training I made you do a few years ago was worth it. Maybe you should sleep on it-today has been revealing and school will continue tomorrow. I don't want you to oversleep again."

For once in his life, Ryu was ready to go to bed. Some things are making sense although he still didn't know the whole truth. He told his father goodnight and left for his room. _It is time to see what questions my dream will answer._ That was the only thought on his mind before his eyes grew too heavy and he fell asleep.

...

 **Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	12. Chapter 12

Silence Brings Pain: Chapter 12

 **I don't own Dead or Alive or its characters. I own this story.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Damn,_ Ryu thought while slowly moving to stand. He didn't expect to be violently thrown into his dream since it never happened before. The fog was surrounding him although it wasn't as dense as it used to started walking around with no particular direction in mind. It felt like he was going in circles until he heard a loud crack.

Ryu didn't have any time to react when the the floor shattered, causing him to fall. He was suspended in the air for a while before he landed on his uninjured shoulder. Shaking his head, he stood up and saw some bars around him. He pulled against them but they wouldn't move and they were too tall for him to climb over. _Great. Now I'm stuck here,_ he thought bitterly.

"Hello, young Hayabusa," a male voice greeted.

He stepped away from the bars and looked around for where the voice could have come from. The voice sounds familiar, but there isn't a body to go with it. He crossed his arms and leaned on the bars. _Who could this be?_

"Do not worry about who I am. I truly doubt if we will meet in person, so you do not need to know anything about me. The only thing that matters is that I know plenty of things about you," the voice stated, amused.

Ryu wasn't sure if he wanted to hear whatever this voice would say. He couldn't get the past the bars, so he chose to go along it. _What do you know?_

"Let's see, where to start? You moved to Britain because your father thought it would be best for you to start over. You almost died twice. You made a few friends, but you can't even trust yourself to put trust in them. I guess that comes from years of people treating you like a caged beast."

Shock can clearly been seen on Ryu's face. He knew part of it was true-he just couldn't accept it. He was about to deny it but the voice interrupted him.

"Do not try to lie to yourself! You only told three of your friends about your scars and I know you would not have told them if you were not forced to. People avoid you because they're afraid of you! Who wouldn't be afraid of a mute kid with mysterious scars and self-worth problems? They think you're a monster! You need to open your eyes and realize that!"

Ryu was on the ground with his hands in his hair. He didn't want to continue listening to that voice. He knew he had his share of problems; he wasn't ready to face them yet. He punched the floor out of pure frustration. _You're wrong! I'm not a monster! I swear I'm not!_

It was quiet after that and Ryu was trying to keep himself from having a mental breakdown. He wanted to wake up from this terrible dream; however, there's no way he can wake himself up. The voice was close to a whisper when it spoke again.

"Prove it."

The scene changed and the bars had disappeared. Ryu was sitting in the middle of a field under the night sky. The wind has blowing gently and the air was cool. He didn't know if the voice could still understand his thoughts, but he didn't want to risk it.

A loud, ear-piercing scream brought Ryu out of his thoughts. Following the sound, he sprinted through the field before stopping before a wooden fence. There was a woman laying on the grass crying and shaking her head. She moved to see Ryu behind her and called out to him.

"Help! Please, help me before she finds me!"

She crawled over towards him and he met her the rest of the way, but he couldn't touch her. There was something there that he couldn't reach past-like a wall. The woman started banging on it and everytime her hands touched it a light gray line moved along the wall. She kept screaming and Ryu didn't know what to do in order to get past the wall.

"You're running out of time," the voice from earlier stated.

As soon as he finished that statement, a shadow appeared behind the woman. It formed a human figure with an object in its hand. The woman turned back to Ryu and said something, but her words didn't reach his ears.

The shadow swung it's arm and a knife flew through the middle of the woman's head. Ryu's body was thrown a couple of feet away from the wall. The last thing he saw was the blade sticking out of the woman's forehead, blood flowing down her face.

"You'll have to try again," the voice said.

...

Ryu sat up in his bed instantly, trying to catch his breath. His heart was beating fast and there was something trailing from his forehead. He felt his forehead then glanced at his hand to see blood on his fingers. He went to his bathroom and took care of the wound. It was the first scar he ever had on his face- a vertical line that stretched from the middle of his forehead to the space between his eyebrows.

There wasn't anything he could use to cover it up, so he left it alone and checked to see what time it is. _It is seven in the morning, meaning I have to be at school in an hour and a half._ He knew that he didn't have time to think about his dream, so he put those thoughts on hold and got ready for school.

...

He came to school and little early this morning and walked to his locker. _I should have stayed at home. There is too much on my mind to focus on school._ He was putting unnecessary books in his locker when the person next to him spoke.

"Hey-Wow, nice scar. That's an odd place to have one," Jann Lee said, staring at the scar. Ryu shrugged his shoulders after he put his backpack on. He would have responded to Jann Lee if someone didn't-purposely-bump into him.

It was none other than Rig, who turned back to look at Ryu. He still had the bandage on his nose and there a strange expression on his face. The students in the hall stopped whatever they were doing and watched them, waiting for another fight to happen. The silence was deadly as Rig started to glare and Ryu returned it. Jann Lee moved over so he was close enough to hold Ryu back before he got to Rig.

"Didn't see you there. Maybe next time you should say something," Rig said.

Ryu would have stepped forward of someone didn't put their hand on his wrist. Rig smirked and strolled down the hall, leaving everyone else to watch his retreating form. _That bastard,_ Ryu thought. He lifted his arm to see who was holding his wrist-his eyes meeting Kasumi's. _Where did she come from?_

"I'm sorry. I did not want another fight to happen," she claimed. She slowly released her grip with a blush forming on her face. She did have a point, so he nodded in understanding.

"I wouldn't consider a broken nose from one punch as a fight," Hayate joined in. He stopped by his locker and leaned against it.

"Whatever, Hayate. I think Ryu should kick his ass," Jann Lee answered. Ryu shook his head and rubbed his arm.

 _'Either way he needs to stop bothering me. I just got here, anyway.'_

Ryu froze when he heard Kasumi gasp. Her eyes were focused on his scar and Hayate followed her gaze to see what she was staring at. Ryu released the breath he didn't know he was holding when the bell rang for class to begin. The group agreed to meet up at lunch before they went to their class.

There was another person substituting for the Art teacher, so the students didn't have any assignments. Most were grouped together and talking, but Ryu decided to draw the field from his dream. He left out the woman he came across and drew himself standing in front of that wall with his hands against it. Kasumi was watching him the whole time before she got his attention.

"That field looks very real. I feel like I have seen it before."

He put his pencil down and faced her. He pointed to his scar then replied. _'That's where I was when it happened.'_

"Really? How did it happen?"

 _'I'll tell you later. How about after school?'_

Kasumi was beyond amazed; the only response he received from her was a smile. She didn't know when she started feeling different around him, but she couldn't bring herself to have a problem with it. She must have stopped paying attention because Ryu gently placed a hand on her own. His worried expression brought her back to earth.

"I'm sorry. Is something wrong?"

 _'The bell rang and you're still sitting here. Are you alright?'_

A blush formed on her face while she picked up her stuff. "I'm okay. I was thinking about some things," she replied. They left the class together and went their separate ways in the halls.

...

 _I want to go home,_ Ryu thought lazily. He was walking towards a table with a notebook in hand, mentally complaining about being at school with a headache. He made his way over to his friends and was about to sit down but someone chose to suddenly stand before him. His grip tightened on the notebook then he placed it on the table.

The last person he wanted to look at was in front of him, again. Rig smirked at him while Ryu crossed his arms. The scar on his forehead felt weird although he ignored it so attention won't be drawn to it. He had no idea what Rig wanted and didn't care.

"Well, doesn't this look familiar? You may have broken my nose, but you'll get in serious trouble if you do that again. Just because your father is an agent, doesn't mean you get special rights."

Ryu rolled his eyes and stared at Rig in boredom. _I know that, dumbass. Either you want to start something or you're worried about getting hit again._ His eyes shifted from Rig to the cafeteria doors when Coach Bayman entered.

"Attention! I know some of you were looking forward to joining the fight club, but due to certain events we will not have it this year. If we're lucky we might have it next school year," he said.

"No! I really wanted to join! I can't believe it," Jann Lee exclaimed, shaking his head in despair. The group tried to cheer him up while walking to class. Ryu walked away from Rig and went to his next class, missing Rig's triumphant look.

In Science class, Miss Hamilton was writing some questions on the board when Ryu walked in. She smiled at him before he went to his seat. He put his head on the desk and closed his eyes. _Something doesn't feel right._

"Good thing you didn't hit Rig again," Hayate stated while sitting down. Ryu lifted his head of the desk and stretched.

 _'I can control myself. He mentioned my father, though. I don't understand why.'_

"Don't worry about him. He was messing with you to see how you'll react."

 _'I know. He's been getting on my nerves all day.'_

"In that case he might be planning something."

The boys spent the rest of the period doing work and taking notes. Ryu managed to stay focused on school the rest of the day. He walked with Kasumi to her locker after school then they went to his car. She already told Hayate where she will be so he didn't have to worry about her whereabouts. They were about to get in the car when Hayate called out to Ryu.

"Make sure nothing happens to her!"

He nodded in understanding while putting on his seatbelt. Hayate waved to Kasumi while Ryu backed out the parking space. A few minutes later they were away from the school, going to a currently undecided location.

...

 **Thanks for reading. Please review!**


	13. Chapter 13

Silence Brings Pain: Chapter 13

 **I never thought SBP would get almost 1,000 views. I appreciate it and it makes me want to finish this.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

It's quiet while Ryu is driving and Kasumi is simply looking out the window. There are other cars on the street going from one place to another, making her briefly wonder what their lives are like. She looks at Ryu, who is too focused on driving to notice her directly staring at him. Her eyes take in his current demeanor-from his relaxed arms to his calm facial expression. The more she stares at him, the more she questions if this is how he usually looks.

She turns to away when a diner comes into view. Ryu parked his car and removed his seatbelt, grabbing his keys in the process. Kasumi also removed her seatbelt before she stepped out the car. She waited for Ryu in front of his car while he locked his door. He opened the door to the diner and held it for her, making her blush. He waved to Mila and led Kasumi to where he sat the last time he was here. Fortunately, the diner looked like it was close to empty, so Ryu didn't have to worry about people watching him.

"I did not expect you to drive to a diner," she commented. She sat down on one side before Ryu sat across from her.

 _'It seemed like a good place. Is there anything you would like to order?'_

"A strawberry milkshake will be fine," she replied. Ryu nodded while ordering her milkshake and a a soda. He noticed her blush and couldn't really deny the fact that he considered it cute.

 _I think my mind is getting ahead of itself,_ he thought. He doesn't know what made him think that, but he didn't get much time to think about it since Mila was approaching the booth with their order. She smiled as a greeting to Kasumi and she winked in Ryu's direction before giving them their drinks.

A surprised expression crossed his features when Kasumi's hand touched his forehead. He kept still, giving her some time to inspect the scar. Her thumb gently traced over it, causing an involuntary shudder to go down his back. She removed her hand after a moment to take a sip of her milkshake.

 _'I might as well get this over with. In my dream, I saw a woman screaming for her life. I tried to help her, but there was something in the way-it felt like a wall. She said something although I couldn't hear what she said. A shadow appeared out of nowhere and threw a knife towards her. The force from it made me land a few feet away from the woman, but her face-I can't get that image out of my mind. I could have helped her, I just didn't do something right.'_

He put his face in his hands and took a few deep breaths. The more he thought about the dreams, the more he felt guilty about not being able to save someone's life. Kasumi didn't say anything while she pulled his hands away from his face. Neither one of them noticed the multiple cars that stopped on the parking lot, nor did they notice three men enter the diner. Kasumi was in the middle of telling Ryu that it wasn't his fault when the three men approached them.

"Excuse me, but are you Ryu Hayabusa? We are agents who need to discuss some important information with you. We understand that you are unable to verbally speak, so our colleague will translate what you say," the man in the middle stated. The group didn't look friendly and Ryu could tell they were carrying weapons. He didn't trust them and from the look on her face, Kasumi didn't either.

 _'I need to see some type of identification before anything is discussed.'_

After the shorter man translated the demand, a thin card was placed on the table. Ryu picked it up and read what was listed on there, making a mental note of the organization's name. He placed the card back on the table, watching Kasumi out the corner of his eye. She was biting her lip and glancing between the men and Ryu.

"I believe we should go somewhere private for our discussion. That way other people won't know our secrets," he continued.

Ignoring whatever the man kept saying, Ryu placed his keys in front of Kasumi. He held a finger to his lips before he picked up a pen and napkin. He quickly wrote something down on the napkin then pushed it over to her, making sure the men didn't see him. Kasumi picked up the note, adjusting her body so one of the men can't see over her shoulder.

[Kasumi, I need you to do something for me. Take my keys, go outside and unlock the doors. Then I need you to get in and start my car. I'll be outside in a few minutes- if I don't, I want you to drive to my house and tell my father what happened.]

Kasumi was about to protest against his idea, but Ryu's eyes told her that he knew what might happen. She left the diner after grabbing his keys and excusing herself. When she made it to his car, Ryu turned to face the men.

 _'We have nothing to discuss. I don't know who you all are, but I am sure that the last thing this encounter will involve is talking.'_

His body was quickly lifted off the floor and pinned against the window. He opened an eye to see the largest man of the group standing in front of him. The man had one hand on Ryu's neck and easily held him almost two feet off the floor. The man tightened his grip and hatefully glared at Ryu while the other two watched in amusement.

There wasn't a single person in the diner, so Ryu was alone in this fight. The pressure on his neck increased some more, making him clench his teeth. He placed a hand on the large man's wrist to ease the pain; however, the black spots on the edge of his vision proved that it wasn't working.

His eyes were searching for anything that could give him an advantage when he saw the glass Kasumi's milkshake was in. He barely had a grip on the glass before it was slammed into the side is the man's face. The man dropped Ryu in favor of getting the glass out his face, which gave Ryu a chance to run to the door.

He briefly felt a weight on his leg before he was knocked to the floor. Rolling over, he met the determined stare of the agent that did all the talking, who was currently attached to one of his legs. Without much hesitation, Ryu lifted his other leg and kicked the agent in the face. He quickly got back on his feet and exited the diner before anyone else could stop him.

"Dammit! Don't let him out of your sight!"

Fortunately, Ryu's car was close to the entrance, so he got in and took a second to breathe. Ignoring the pain, he put his car in reverse and left the parking lot. The streets were mostly empty, giving Ryu the opportunity to lose his pursuers. There were agents on motorcycles who started catching up to him and there was a car behind them.

"How are we going to escape them? There aren't many places we can go right now," Kasumi said. She was afraid of what could happen if they were caught by those agents.

Ryu didn't think about where they could go, so he shook his head and continued to drive. An agent was getting a little too close to his car by the time Kasumi pointed out that one was on her side and two were behind him. His foot pressed down on the acceleration before he turned a sharp corner. _Where did all the cars from before go? They probably planned this._

His thoughts abruptly stopped when he saw some spikes in the road. He unexpectedly turned to the left, causing two of the agents to hit the back of the car and land on the other side of the spikes. A terrified scream left Kasumi's mouth, proving to Ryu that the impact was worse than what it sounded like. When his eyes glanced at his rearview mirror, he noticed that the car that was also following him had disappeared.

"R-Ryu, I don't think they're going to quit," Kasumi stammered while playing with her thumbs. She closed her eyes, hoping for this situation to end soon.

Both of them heard the sound of a gunshot, although it must have missed its target. The sound was heard again-this time it hit one of the side view mirrors. He heard Kasumi gasp at another gunshot and came to a sad realization; they were aiming at her.

Trying not to let his anger distract him, Ryu placed his hand on Kasumi's arm. She jumped at the contact then slowly relaxed after a few seconds. He turned another corner then moved his hand to point at the backseat. Kasumi watched him in confusion before she nodded and climbed back there. He looked in the rearview mirror to make sure she was okay, but a loud crash reminded him of what was happening.

His eyes snapped back to the road just in time to see a huge piece of metal fall. It crossed the entire width of the road and was three feet thick. Ryu quickly stopped his car, causing the tires to leave marks on the road. It was already too late when the agents noticed that he stopped; their motorcycles crashed into the metal, their bodies flailing in the air and landing in odd positions.

He took in a deep breath, turned off his car, and looked back at Kasumi. She was shaking and staring at nothing when Ryu offered his hand to her. Her eyes focused on his hand before she held it while moving back to the front. His hand returned to the steering wheel after she let go-the grip making his knuckles quickly turn white. There was a very long silence during the time they spent watching each other.

 _'Kasumi, I really want to apologize. I did not expect for any of that to happen, the last thing I want is to put people I care about in danger. I should have told you to go home. I should have noticed the lack of cars sooner. If only I made the right decision for once in my life. Are you okay?'_

"I am just very surprised, although besides that I am okay. If anything, I should be asking you about your wellbeing. I know that you're worried about me, but how do you think I would feel if you made me leave you at the diner? You made a decision that saved both of our lives, do not blame yourself for it."

He absently nodded his head and started his car again. He still couldn't stop feeling guilty about everything. Checking his phone for the time, he saw multiple messages from his father and noticed that it was almost midnight. He couldn't bring himself to worry about the time as he opened the latest message.

[Dad]-Where the hell are you?! None of your friends know where you are and Shiden is at our house raising hell about his daughter. We will talk about this when you get home.

 _I am in so much trouble,_ he thought. He was too busy escaping from those agents to even think about contacting his father. Kasumi was sleeping peacefully considering what she witnessed. All of the adrenaline from before had abandoned him, now he felt extremely exhausted.

...

 **Sorry for the late update. Thanks for reading. Please review!**


	14. Chapter 14

Silence Brings Pain: Chapter 14

 **I don't own Dead or Alive or its characters. I own the plot and this story.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

It was past midnight when Ryu came home. Trying to keep from collapsing, he got out of his car and walked to the other side. He felt like giving in to the pain, but that'll be like letting the people behind those murders win. He opened the door and picked up Kasumi, carrying her bridal style towards his house. He still wondered how she managed to fall asleep, but his head hurts too much for him to think about it. He reached for his keys before he noticed that he left them behind.

He didn't want to walk back to his car for some keys, so out of pure hope he kicked the door a few times just in case his father was awake. Ryu closed his eyes, feeling the cold air on his skin. It was completely dark outside, excluding the few lights from streetlights and other houses. His hopes for someone to open the door were starting to fade before it finally opened, revealing his father.

"Ryu? Come on, it's cold out there," Joe said, surprise in his voice.

After being pulled into the house, Ryu went to his room and placed Kasumi on the bed. She shifted to face his direction as he placed a blanket over her. He turned away from her to the door. He doesn't know how he's still awake, he just trudged downstairs to find his father. There were muffled voices coming from the kitchen, so he let his feet guide him in that direction.

Joe and Shiden were sitting at the table in the middle of a conversation when Ryu stepped in. They quietly watched him as he took a seat across from them. Judging by the looks on their faces, Ryu knew he had to look as bad as he felt. Joe reached out and moved Ryu's head back to inspect the handprint that bruised his neck. It was still red in some areas although most of it had a purple hue to it.

"What happened, Ryu? I thought Shiden's son said you two went to the diner," Joe asked after letting go.

 _'We did. Three agents came to us claiming that they had something to discuss with me. One of their badges said that they work for H.W.R.N, but it didn't have a meaning. I had Kasumi go wait for me in my car before I told them that I have no reason to talk to them.'_

"Is that why you have that bruise?" Shiden asked.

 _'Yes. I was lifted off the floor and pinned to a window until I hit him with a glass cup. Another one tried to stop me, but I ran to my car and left. There were more agents following us on motorcycles. I was able to lose them even though there's a slim chance of them being alive.'_

Joe crossed his arms and studied Ryu's guilty expression. "Do not start blaming yourself for someone else's actions. You did what you had to do at that moment, even if it was at the cost of a life."

 _'I can't help but feel responsible! They died because they hit my car and landed on some spikes! I have to be important enough for them to want to pursue me. No matter what I try to do, someone ends up hurt-or worse-in the process. You're saying that as if I shouldn't let death faze me!'_

"Ryu, calm down. I'm not saying you shouldn't care, I'm saying you shouldn't let misplaced guilt consume you. Stop taking responsibility for the negative things and let the blame get placed on the person who is truly responsible for it. You can't bear everyone's burden."

"They also had to know what could happen if their plan failed. You proved that they shouldn't underestimate you," Shiden joined in.

It was at that moment Ryu understood what his father and Shiden were talking about. He felt better although he was in a lot of pain from the night's events. Joe and Shiden were talking about something when Ryu put his head on the table with a loud thud. Both of the men attempted to wake him up, but Ryu didn't respond so Joe put his son on the couch.

...

The next morning, Ryu slowly opened his eyes. _I don't remember sleeping on the couch,_ he thought. He ran a hand through his hair and pulled the blanket closer around him. Most of the pain from last night went away although he can still feel the bruise on his neck. He sat up when a coffee cup was placed before him on the coffee table.

"Good morning. I made some tea," Joe said. He sat down next to Ryu with his own coffee cup.

 _'Good morning. What time is it?'_ Ryu stretched and noticed that he doesn't have any extra scars. He picked up his cup and drank some of the tea.

"Almost nine. Shiden and I called the school to inform them that you and Kasumi will not come to school today. She's still asleep, if you're wondering," Joe answered, drinking some of his own tea.

 _He knows me well,_ Ryu thought. There was a pause in the conversation while Ryu glanced around the living room. It looked the same as it always has been, just with streams of light flowing through the window. He finished his cup of tea before his father spoke again.

"We need to find out more about those people who were after you last night. We'll create a plan after Shiden comes back," Joe stated.

Ryu nodded and went to his room. He picked out a fresh set of clothes then strolled over to his bathroom. He turned on the shower and faced his mirror. His hand traced the handprint on his neck before he got ready to take a shower.

...

After taking a quick shower, Ryu put on his clothes and brushed his teeth. He was dressed in a red flannel shirt and black pants with some black shoes. Ryu noticed that Kasumi wasn't in his room anymore, so he closed the door and walked downstairs. The living room was also vacant and he wondered where his father went. Ryu fixed himself another cup of tea and was going back upstairs until he heard a shout.

"It looks worse than I thought!"

Placing his cup on the coffee table, Ryu opened the front door and went outside. His father was groaning and pacing back and forth while Shiden stood next to him, biting his lip. Ryu couldn't tell what the problem was from standing by the door, so he strolled over to the two men. He abruptly stopped when he saw what they were staring at, his eyebrows raised in shock.

Ryu's car was sitting there, in the worst condition he has ever seen it in. There were scratches and dents along the sides although they were worse at the back of the car. The side view mirrors were destroyed, he could see the bullet holes surrounded by tiny pieces of glass. _I won't be driving for a while,_ Ryu thought bitterly. He watched Shiden take pictures of his car and go back inside the house before he turned to face his father.

"We need these pictures for evidence," Joe announced. "Shiden knows someone who can have it repaired in two weeks. I'll take you to school and stuff until then."

Ryu nodded and followed his father inside. He picked up his cup again before he walked down the hall by the stairs to his father's office. Kasumi was sitting in a chair across from her father, talking to him about something. She was wearing a blue sweatshirt and black pants, her hair simply flowing down her turned around after sensing someone's presence, but smiled when she realized it was Ryu.

"Hey," she greeted.

 _'Hey.'_ He responded, sitting down next to her. Joe and Shiden were writing everything that Ryu told them on the whiteboard in front of the room. Joe was finishing up the details while Shiden started speaking.

"Joe and I have coworkers researching H.W.R.N right now, but we need to figure out how did they know where you two were," Shiden declared. "Who else knew where you were going besides Hayate?"

 _'No one. He was the only person around before we left.'_

"Those agents could have been following them from school to the diner," Joe suggested.

"If that was the case, how did they know when we left school? We were at the diner for almost an hour until they showed up," Kasumi added.

Shiden stopped to write what was said so far before he continued. "They could have been waiting for a certain time to make their move. Do you know what time it was when they came in?"

"I think it was close to 8:15 when Ryu told me to go to his car," Kasumi answered.

"After Hayate told us about the diner, it was almost 9:50 when we left to look for you two. The place was a mess, so we must have arrived after you two escaped," Joe mentioned.

' _The roads were also empty while I was driving. I think they planned that so they could catch me quicker.'_

"Something doesn't make sense. We still don't know how they knew when to follow you two," Shiden stated.

"Damn. How did they know where you two were going in the first place?" Joe questioned.

Shiden continued writing while everyone else thought about it. The silence was cut short when Ryu snapped his fingers, gaining everyone's attention. _I can't believe I didn't see this sooner,_ he thought.

 _'I think someone at school is working with H.W.R.N. There were other people around before Kasumi and I left, but I don't know who that person could be.'_

"Alright, that gives us more to work with. Whoever this person is could have been watching you around school for a while," Joe noted.

"Do you think this person is a student or a teacher?" Shiden inquired.

 _'I don't know. There aren't many people constantly around me during the day.'_

"Anyone could be a suspect. Most people don't know Ryu, but some might recognize him," Kasumi chimed in.

"We need a way to find this person without students and teachers knowing what we're doing. I also believe that H.W.R.N will come back when given the chance," Joe said.

"The less people involved, the better," Shiden agreed. "I think we should use Ryu to find this person."

"What? Shiden, I don't understand what you mean," Joe complained.

"Think about it, Joe. Ryu could lead this person out from their hiding spot while you and I catch them. Then we'll be closer to answers we are looking for. If something goes wrong, your son can handle himself," Shiden explained.

"I see. Ryu, you have to decide if you want to do this or not," Joe declared. Ryu thought about it before agreeing with the suggestion.

"Okay. Is there any type of school event happening soon? I doubt if this person can be found in public," Shiden asked.

The two men started at their children while they waited for an answer. Ryu leaned back in his chair and Kasumi was absently staring at the table. She suddenly gasped before starting to blush and shake her head.

"Kasumi, are you alright? You're acting a little weird," Shiden implored, raising an eyebrow.

"I am alright, I was just thinking about the dance that's in three weeks," she answered.

Joe pulled Shiden aside and started whispering about something. Ryu narrowed his eyes in suspicion, his fingers tapping on the table. _I didn't even know this dance existed._ He glanced at Kasumi although she turned her head to avoid his stare.

"It's settled. Not to force you or anything, but it's the only thing we can work with right now," Joe claimed, staring at Ryu.

 _'I understand. But,'_ he paused and turned to Kasumi then continued, ' _Will you go to the dance with me?'_

Kasumi was speechless, her eyes wide with surprise. Joe smiled and gave his son a thumbs up before Shiden hit him in the back of the head, a small frown on his face. Joe rolled his eyes and watched Shiden frown more as Kasumi agreed to go to the dance. They began to leave the room and Shiden gripped Ryu's shoulder to turn him around.

"Listen. I don't like how you boldly asked my daughter to this dance, but I'll make an exception since you two are...close. If you hurt her or let something happen to her, I'll make sure you realize your mistake," he threatened. Ryu bravely meet Shiden's stare, a serious expression on his face.

 _'I promise I won't hurt her or let anything happen to her.'_

Shiden stood there glaring at Ryu before Joe placed a hand on his shoulder to lead him down out the room. "You can't threaten my son that way. They're going to a dance, Shiden. Don't be so overprotective."

"I am looking out for my daughter, Joe. Anyway, my associate just picked up the car and Kasumi and I are going home. I will see you whenever we're back at work," he remarked, smirking as he opened the door.

"We're always working at some point. See you then," Joe replied. Kasumi waved to Ryu from her father's car then they left. Ryu walked back in the house, trying to ignore his father's smile. They both went into the kitchen and fixed something to eat, his father still smiling along the way. They were halfway through dinner when his father spoke.

"I'm proud of you," he confided. Ryu placed his cup back on the table after he drank some of his water.

 _'Why?'_

"You asked a girl out-" he held up a finger "-and she said yes. I have noticed that your mood changes some when she's around or you two are texting-maybe I am wrong. I need to know something. Do you have feelings for Kasumi?"

Ryu didn't answer the question, choosing to stand up and put his dishes in the sink. His father chuckled, picking up his own dishes and putting them in the sink. He turned to face Ryu, who refused to meet his father's gaze.

"Alright, I'll drop the subject. You'll figure out what to do with your feelings," Joe reasoned.

There was some awkward tension as they both went their separate ways for the night. Ryu quietly closed his bedroom door and slid down it, putting his face in his hands. _I guess I do act differently around Kasumi. I have been here for almost four months and I already care for someone more than a friend should._ Pushing his body off the floor, Ryu went over to his closet before changing into a black shirt and some sweatpants. He laid down on his bed, letting his mind relax so he can get some sleep.

...

 **Thanks for reading. Please review!**


	15. Chapter 15

Silence Brings Pain: Chapter 15

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

Ryu was standing in the field again, the wind not blowing as much as it was last time. He sensed someone's presence and knew that the voice was waiting for him. He couldn't deal with failing again, so he stayed where he was. _Are you here to mock me?_

"No. I'm here to see what you're going to do. You have time to make a decision," the voice claimed.

Ryu sat down in the grass and stared at nothing. _I don't know what to do. Even when I am dreaming, I can't help anyone._

"Maybe that's true. It could depend on the situation," it commented.

 _What the hell does that mean?_ Ryu lifted a hand to rub his eye then looked up at the sky.

"You'll know when I want you to know," it responded with malice.

The scenery changed, and Ryu wasn't in the field anymore. He was sitting on some concrete before he stood up. An abandoned warehouse was in front of him with trash in different areas. There were ominous clouds in the sky and the wind was pushing against his back. A feeling of dread washed over him as ideas about what could happen began to flood his mind.

"I can't wait to see you screw this one up," the voice taunted.

It started raining, but he couldn't feel it. His body was numb and his eyes were focused on the warehouse. He crept forward and opened the door. There was a young man in the middle of the room shaking his head. His eyes landed on Ryu, who stopped moving when the man noticed him. The man backed away and pointed at Ryu.

"S-Stay away from me! You work for them, don't you? You're just like her," the man shouted.

Ryu raised his hands in surrender and slowly stepped forward. _'I don't work for anyone.'_

The man gripped his hair and fell to the floor. "I can't be imagining things right now. I think I'm losing my mind. She's close by, I know it," he mumbled.

Ryu was standing near the man when the wind started blowing more. He heard a loud sizzling sound before the door at the other side of the warehouse opened. The silence was thick as Ryu watched the metal bar that was carried by that shadow. It had more of a human form, and Ryu briefly saw something purple.

He realized what was about to happen and ran to the man. The shadow continued walking forward until it was standing over the man. Ryu reached out to the man, but he couldn't touch him. _Not again, not again._ His eyes widened when the shadow turned to him and waved in his direction. The sound of thunder was heard after sparks began to surround the metal. Fearing the worst, Ryu placed his hands on the wall and tried to get the man's attention.

A flash of light was the last thing Ryu saw before he felt the pain. A burning sensation traveled from his hands to his arms, making him close his eyes tightly. He knew the electric shock came from the metal, but he couldn't remove his hands. There were small sparks circling around his arms until the shadow pulled back the metal. His body landed roughly on the floor and his hands continued shaking.

His eyes bore a blank expression while he stared at the ceiling. He couldn't move and some sparks were still around his arms. The voice from before sighed and spoke again.

"You'll get another chance."

...

Ryu shifted in his bed before he sat up. He lifted his arms and inspected the lines trailing from his hands to his shoulders. _They're similar to lightning bolts,_ he thought. A knock coming from his door caught his attention. He released a breath when he saw his father walk in and sit across from him.

"You overslept, so I came to wake you up," Joe informed. He glanced at Ryu's arms then continued. "How did that happen?"

 _'The shadow from last time had electrocuted a man by using a metal bar. I see the scars, but I can't feel them. I'll be ready in a while.'_

Ryu got out his bed and started preparing for school. Joe also stood to leave the room although he stopped to face Ryu. He didn't like seeing his son with those scars and bruises; however, he knew that Ryu was stronger than he looked.

"We're going to stop this," he declared, giving Ryu a thumbs up. Some of the weight in his chest disappeared when Ryu paused and returned the gesture.

 _You'll make it, Ryu._

...

"Ryu, you've been distant all day. It's the last class of the day and you haven't said anything," Leifang commented.

Indeed, Ryu hasn't really socialized with anyone today. He was too lost in his thoughts about the dream, and upset about his fresh scars. He wore all black with some fingerless gloves and a scarf that covered his neck. His arms were fortunately hidden by his sweatshirt-the last thing he needs are people bothering him about that. Everyone was waiting for a response, so he shrugged his shoulders.

 _'I'm thinking about some things. Is it really that odd?'_

"Yes. You were always involved in the conversations somehow," Hitomi added.

"Maybe it's because his car is missing," Tina guessed. Everyone turned to stare at her, silently asking where that idea could have came from. Ryu blinked a few times and rubbed his temples.

 _'My car isn't missing, Tina.'_

"Really? Why did your father bring you to school? By the way, you look like him," she remarked.

 _'He brought me to school because my car is being fixed.'_

Everyone -with the exception of Ryu, Kasumi, and Hayate-were surprised by this information. No one expected Ryu to ruin his car-honestly it wasn't his fault. Tina pouted and wiped some fake tears away from her eyes while Hitomi patted her on the back. It was quiet until Eliot spoke.

"How did that happen?"

 _'I was driving home and someone hit the back of my car.'_ He adjusted his scarf and pulled his sleeves down-trying to hide his scars as if they were suddenly on display. He would be lying more than he already was if he told them that nobody was hurt, so he left it at that.

Trying to clear his mind, Ryu shifted his eyes to his hands. He was stressed out and tired; and when he goes to sleep he isn't getting any rest. It was getting harder to keep his secret and he knew that anyone could be in contact with H.W.R.N. He always kept his guard up, expecting the worse to happen if he relaxed for a fraction of a second. He thought about how his father taught him years ago that observing people can tell what they're thinking. _Nothing seems wrong right now,_ he thought while holding his head in his hands.

Suddenly, Ryu's body tensed when someone stopped next to him. He didn't move as he waited for the person to say something. The person loudly cleared their throat, gaining the rest of the group's attention. Ryu looked up and met Rig's mischievous expression. Ryu knew Rig wanted something, so he watched Rig walk to stand in front of him.

"I didn't think about this before, but it's funny how your absence speaks more than your presence. Maybe that's funny because you literally can't talk, or maybe because there are rumors that you were in a terrible accident," Rig announced.

Ryu swallowed the lump in his throat and put his hands together. He was trying not to do anything that could get him in trouble although he didn't know how long it'll last. _'What do you want?'._

Rig began to smirk, and it took a lot of patience for Ryu not to wipe that look off his face. "I wanted to talk to Coach Bayman, but then I noticed that you were here. I heard you got on someone's bad side, maybe that's why you don't have you car."

 _'It is none of your damn business what happened to my car.'_

The gym was filled with the sound of Rig's laugh and the sound of it made Ryu feel a sense of familiarity with it. "Are you sure? You should watch out, you don't know what type of person I am."

Ryu stood up to confront Rig, but Kasumi held his wrist before he could step forward. Her eyes told him that she had something to say, but he wanted to deal with Rig. Rig sauntered over to the gym's doors then faced Ryu. He placed a hand on his neck and asked, "Oh, I almost forgot. How's that bruise on your neck?"

Rig left after that and no one said anything. Ryu moved to observe everyone's expressions-which ranged from surprised to angry. That guilty feeling was coming back, and Ryu knew this wasn't anyone else's fault but his. His heart was beating wildly like it was about to leap out of his chest.

"W-Why didn't you tell us about the bruise?" Leifang asked.

"I knew you were hiding something," Ayane commented.

There were various questions and statements directed at Ryu, who was busy trying to stop his hands from shaking. The only people who haven't said anything were Hayate, Kasumi, and Hitomi-and Ryu appreciated it. All the noise quickly faded into silence when Hayate spoke up.

"You all need to be quiet! Before any of you start complaining about feeling betrayed, let Ryu explain himself," he shouted. He looked at Ryu's thankful expression and stepped back to give him the floor. Ryu took a minute to think about what he wanted to say before he explained himself.

 _'I know you all might be angry, but I have my reasons for not wanting to tell you. There are reasons why I act the way I do. In the end, it wasn't my choice. It's never that way.'_

He didn't want to hear any responses, so he walked outside. He inhaled and exhaled-his breath visible in the cold air. There were other students going home and Ryu realized school was over. He knew that he destroyed whatever trust they put in him, but he didn't want to apologize for keeping his secrets to himself. Ryu walked to the parking lot and thought about Rig's threat. _He could be the one who is watching me._

Ryu saw his father's car and got in. Joe noticed Ryu's blank expression and asked him about it.

 _'I think I know who has been watching me.'_

"Good. Do you have any proof that they're watching?" Joe asked. Ryu shook his head and put on his seatbelt.

"We'll have to catch him in the act. At least we have a lead," Joe said. He left the school and starting driving home. Ryu leaned against the door and closed his eyes. Hopefully, I can make that happen.

...

 **Thanks for reading.**


	16. Chapter 16

Silence Brings Pain: Chapter 16

 **I'm thinking about writing a comedy, but I'm not sure. Maybe I should try to finish this first.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _I have no reason to care anymore,_ Ryu thought. It's been twelve days since Rig mentioned Ryu's bruise in front of his friends. After that, Ryu isolated himself from the group- considering how almost everyone was still angry with him. He did continue talking to Hayate, Kasumi, and Hitomi although there were awkward pauses during some of the conversations. The neck bruise also faded completely, but Ryu still felt the students' searching gaze placed on him. _I should have known that the whole school would find out._

Adjusting his sunglasses, Ryu placed his elbows on the table. He barely slept due to the hell that his dreams put him through. They occurred in a different place, but the results were all the same. Every person he met was killed, and he was always left with scars to remind him of his failures. There were bags under his eyes and he knew that he needed to sleep.

When the bell rang for lunch, Ryu dodged the oncoming crowd and walked outside. He knew some students were watching him, and some started whispering about him. It was no longer surprising, and the words weren't anything that should faze him. _They are only empty words that people want me to hear._ Ryu walked past the auditorium, letting the cold air rush by him.

After walking in a familiar direction, Ryu stopped and sat down on a bench. He was sitting across from a few trees, their leaves already beginning to change colors. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, the anxiety disappearing for now. He was stressed out to the point where he over-analyzed everyone and everything. _I can't continue like this._

He didn't even notice a person sit next to him, their shoulder slightly brushing against his. Ryu turned and saw Hayate, who was staring at the trees. Neither boy said anything, enjoying the peaceful silence for a while. Hayate soon returned Ryu's stare, his eyes showing extreme worry despite his look of indifference. Ryu raised an eyebrow, wondering what Hayate could be thinking about.

"Why in the hell are you out here, Ryu?"

 _'I needed to get away from all of the stares and whispers.'_

Hayate crossed his arms and asked, "You do know that they want you to avoid them, right?"

 _'Yes. I am dealing with too many things to actually care about what they are trying to do.'_

"Do you want them to have the satisfaction of knowing that their plan is working? Or do you want to show them they're the least of your worries?"

 _'What's the difference, Hayate? If I let them win, that is exactly what it is. If they see that they're not bothering me, it's like I am trying to prove to them that I can ignore them-meaning that their actions and words do affect me. I am still at a disadvantage.'_

Hayate paused before he asked, "What have you been dealing with, Ryu?"

 _'I am not sure anymore. I can barely solve my own problems, sleep hurts me more than it helps, and I still haven't gotten any closer to finding out the truth.'_

There was a pause in the conversation while Hayate reflected on what Ryu said. Ryu was messing with the sleeves of his shirt, causing Hayate to notice all of the bandages on his hands that most likely went up his arms. Ryu took off the sunglasses to rub his eyes before he put them back on.

"Light pink," Hayate announced. Ryu was on his phone before he turned to face Hayate.

 _'What?'_

"Kasumi's dress is light pink. You two are always texting, maybe she already told you," Hayate explained.

 _'It was undecided last time we talked about it. Thank you for telling me.'_

"You're welcome. Besides, Hitomi was worried about accidentally wearing something similar to Kasumi," he replied, laughing at the end. Ryu shook his head, dismissing his worries about the point of going to that dance. He was pulled out of his thoughts when Hayate began to drag him away from the bench.

"As much as we have a good reason for it, we can not skip class," Hayate stated. Ryu agreed since he didn't have the strength to resist Hayate's grip. He-surprisingly-felt better after the conversation, so the rest of his day went by smoothly.

...

"How has school been lately, son?" Joe asked.

Ryu and Joe were cooking dinner together, which was unusual since Joe cooked more often. Ryu placed a knife on the cutting board then turned his father's direction.

 _'Nothing has changed. People are still angry with me and my dreams have gotten worse. I can not focus on anything because of my lack of sleep. The only good thing is that I know what I'm wearing for the dance tomorrow. How has work been?'_

"I had to finish some paperwork and Shiden almost shot me in my foot during a mission, but that's besides the point. Your dreams are keeping you awake?"

 _'Something like that. The murders are stressing me out and I don't know how to stop them.'_

Joe didn't say anything while he placed two plates of food on the table. Ryu also brought two cups of water to the table and they both sat down. His father's silence was slightly disturbing, so Ryu started to eat his food. Joe had an unreadable expression and heavily sighed before he looked at Ryu.

"I need you to explain that some more," he declared. Ryu pushed his plate aside and rubbed his arm.

 _'When I go to sleep, I see the murders in my dreams. It happens every time and keeps me awake although I am asleep.'_

Joe nodded in understanding and finished his food. He had an idea, but there was a chance his son wouldn't agree with it. Ryu was eating a slice of cake when Joe voiced his thoughts.

"I have an idea on how you could sleep, but you might not like it. Hell, it might not even work," he stated.

Raising an eyebrow, Ryu signed, _'What is it?'_

Joe stood up and walked around the kitchen, mentally debating on if he should explain his idea. He stopped behind Ryu, who was eating another slice of cake. Joe rolled his eyes and continued.

"If I did something without warning-something that you needed to know-would you be angry?"

Suspicious of his father's questions, Ryu hesitated before he shrugged his shoulders. He thought his father was randomly testing him, so he went along with it. Joe took that as a good thing and said, "Don't be angry."

Ryu suddenly felt a pressure at the back of his neck. His body nearly fell out of the chair, but Joe caught him. He carried Ryu out of the kitchen and placed him on the couch then threw a blanket over him. Joe smirked and walked to his own room to get some sleep.

...

 **Thanks for reading.**


	17. Chapter 17

Silence Brings Pain: Chapter 17

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dead or Alive and its characters.**

 **I've been thinking and sadly realized that I could've written this whole story a different (better) way. I am working on wrapping it up though and hopefully I'll write something else.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

It was after four in the evening when Ryu woke up the next day. Opening his emerald eyes, he looked around to see that he was in the living room. A small frown appeared on his face when he realized that his father had knocked him unconscious. He wasn't angry about it though; honestly he was thankful for the chance to get some sleep.

Ryu pushed the blanket away and placed his feet on the cold floor. He stood up and stretched before going into the kitchen. It was quiet in the house although he was used to it. He sighed and started preparing something to eat. He felt better than he had in almost two weeks and there weren't any scars on him either.

Thoughts about the dance slowly made their way into Ryu's mind. He was unsure about whether or not it's a good idea to go to this dance. Bad things happen when Ryu is in a crowd, and the last thing he wants is to put someone in danger. _Again,_ he thought bitterly. One side of Ryu hopes that nothing happens, but the other side knows there's a slim chance for that. He chose not to think about any of possibilities while he started cleaning the kitchen.

An hour later, there was a buzzing sound coming from Ryu's phone. It took him a moment to find it, and another moment for him to find his charger. He had a message from his father, which is odd considering how he was most likely at work. Shrugging his shoulders, Ryu decided to see what his father wanted.

[Dad]-Are you awake?

[Ryu]-Yes. I have been for at least an hour or two.

[Dad]- Good! I need you to come outside.

Ryu didn't know if he should take the risk or not. _Last time father did something without warning, I woke up on the couch,_ Ryu remembered. He doubts if his father does anything dangerous this time, so he put his phone down and walked outside.

Ryu stopped walking when he saw Joe and Shiden. Both men were leaning against Ryu's recently fixed car, sunglasses covering their eyes. Joe smirked at Ryu's reaction and strolled over to him.

"I bet you didn't expect your car to back so early," Joe claimed, passing the keys to his son. Shiden moved to stand next to his own car before he called out to Joe.

"When the guy has a deadline, he meets the deadline," he remarked. Shiden got in his car and continued, "Anyway, I am going home to get some things done."

Joe gave Shiden a knowing look then laughed and waved as Shiden left. It briefly crossed Ryu's mind that Joe and Shiden acted like best friends, but he was surprised when Joe began pulling him up the stairs.

"You have to get ready now, otherwise you will be late picking up Kasumi," Joe quickly explained. Ryu nodded in agreement and went in his room to get ready.

...

Two hours later, Ryu was finally ready for the dance. He crept downstairs in search of his father and found him in the living room. Ryu stepped in and knocked on the wall to get his father's attention. Joe turned around and froze before he smiled at what his son was wearing.

Ryu was dressed in a light pink shirt with a black bow tie. He also wore a black vest over the shirt and a black blazer along with it. His slacks were slim fitting and went nicely with his black shoes. Overall, Ryu looks like a different person when he's dressed this way. The clothes aren't uncomfortable like he thought they would be, so he knew he would be able to deal with everything better. He felt slightly nervous because of his father's smile, causing him to rub his neck and glance around the room.

"I am proud of you, Ryu. You've grown up, and this makes me wish that things were different," Joe admitted while slyly taking pictures of his son. He shook his head and continued, "We could have more father-son moments, but I believe the rare ones are better. Honestly, the suit does make you look a few years older."

Ryu smiled at his father and signed, _'Thank you. I do not feel any older though.'_

Joe chuckled and told Ryu not to worry about anything. They both exchanged farewells before Ryu left his home. He quickly texted Kasumi then started driving. _I also wish things were different, but would I be the person I am now?_ Ryu swiftly parked his car next to another one, stepped out, and strolled over to the door. He took a deep breath and knocked, thinking calm thoughts while he waited.

The door was opened by Hayate, who was dressed similar to Ryu, except in sky blue and he didn't wear a vest. Hayate moved to the side, allowing Ryu to walk in and stand near the stairs. Hayate was adjusting his tie when he noticed Ryu held a single pink rose in his hands.

"I am guessing that you know what the rose color means," Hayate observed.

Ryu directed his attention to somewhere else, giving Hayate the answer he was looking for. Hayate smirked and raised in his hands, knowing that Ryu will avoid questions regardless of the subject. Suddenly, a slim and pale-skinned woman wrapped an arm around Hayate. She had a round face and large brown eyes, along with long dark brown hair that she wore loose. Her eyes widened when she saw Ryu standing there and instantly smiled before removing her arm.

"Hello! You must be Ryu," she began, "Kasumi had told me so much about you. I am her mother, Ayame. I must say, you are as handsome as my daughter said you were."

"Mother, I think that was the part you should have left out," Hayate mentioned, gesturing to Ryu's slightly red face. Ayame gasped and started waving her hands frantically.

"Oh no! I apologize, I didn't know that would make it awkward," she explained. "I'll go get Kasumi for you."

Ryu didn't trust himself to respond, so he smiled as Ayame walked away. Hayate was trying to stop laughing, but he gave up when Ryu turned to glare at him. Ryu shook his head and faced the stairs in time to see Kasumi come from her room.

 _Beautiful,_ Ryu thought. Kasumi was wearing a long, light pink dress with a slit on the right side that stopped by her knee. She wore a white necklace and a pair of white gladiator sandals. Her hair was straight and flowing down her back. He smiled, stepped over to give her the pink rose then stood next to her. Kasumi blushed even more and tried to ignore her mother, who was taking pictures of the two.

After her mother finished, she told her children and Ryu to make sure they have fun. Hayate left in his father's car shortly before Ryu and Kasumi did, since he had to pick up Hitomi. They agreed on where to meet at the dance and went their separate ways.

...

 **Thanks for reading.**


	18. Chapter 18

Silence Brings Pain: Chapter 18

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"I didn't expect to see so many people," Kasumi stated. Ryu glanced at the groups of students before he exited his car. He walked around to the other side and opened the door for Kasumi.

 _'I didn't_ _tell you this before, but you look beautiful tonight,'_ Ryu signed before he held his hand out. Blushing while she thanked him, Kasumi held his hand as she stepped out and together they strolled to entrance, her arm wrapped loosely around Ryu's.

As they came closer to the entrance, people were beginning to notice the duo. _I will never get used to this attention_ , Ryu thought while he stared back at the crowd. Some people seemed surprised to see that he was attending the dance, while others tried to act indifferent about it. There were security guards standing by the door, their black uniforms making them look out of place.

"More than necessary," Kasumi whispered. Ryu nodded, leading her through the door and past the lobby. The inside of building was decorated elegantly, making Ryu stop walking to look around. Some students were already dancing, surrounded by round tables with red or orange tablecloths. A table for drinks was set up a safe distance from where the students were, and someone was playing music at the front of the room. Ryu didn't get a chance to continue looking around when a voice caught his attention.

"Kasumi and Ryu! It's good to see you," Hitomi greeted. She was wearing a short, sky blue dress with a pair of black sandals. Hayate showed up a few minutes later, a confused expression on his face before the conversation continued.

"Good thing Miss Douglas chose to change the dance location, there's more space here! This will be so fun," Hitomi exclaimed. She leaned over and whispered something to Kasumi, who quickly gasped and shook her head. Hayate and Ryu were left to stand there awkwardly as the girls suddenly decided to go greet other students.

Ryu shrugged his shoulders and sat down at a nearby table, Hayate sitting across from him a second later. The mindless conversations around them didn't make this situation any better, so Ryu ran a hand through his hair and leaned back.

 _'I feel out of place here. Well, more than I usually do.'_

"You're not the only one," Hayate replied. It seemed as if he was looking past Ryu-who was about to turn around-before he slammed his hand on the table. Hayate quickly removed his hand and gestured for Ryu to not move.

"Sorry, but don't turn around," he began, lowering his voice. "You have an observer who's standing along the wall behind you."

 _Just when I was starting to relax,_ Ryu thought. After thinking about what he could do, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Hayate was going to ask Ryu what he was doing before Ryu extended his arm and leaned on the table. Using the front camera on his phone, Ryu saw Rig staring at him and tapping on his own phone. Every few seconds Rig would look at Ryu then continue typing something doing on his phone. _Damn,_ Ryu thought after he put his phone away.

 _'I think we should go find Kasumi and Hitomi,'_ he signed after he stood up from his chair. Hayate wordlessly walked next Ryu, and both boys easily made their way through the crowd. There was no sign of either girl until Hayate pointed to a table near the dance floor.

As they both came closer to the table, Ryu noticed that a few students were leaving the dance floor. He stopped next to Kasumi and turned around to see if Rig was actually watching him. Kasumi gently placed her hand on his wrist, causing him to shift his gaze to her worried expression.

"Are you alright?" Kasumi asked.

He nodded then paused as he listened to a song that started playing. They were beginning to play the slow songs for the night, and Ryu bit his lip before facing Kasumi again. He didn't know if she would want to dance with him or not, but everything Ryu did involved him taking a aware of how close he was to Kasumi, Ryu took a small step back.

 _'Would you like to dance, Kasumi?'_

Her smile faltered a little as she stared at his hand. "I would love to, but I am not much of a dancer," she answered.

For the second time that night, Ryu smiled. _'That does not matter. We should enjoy the night while we can.'_

Mesmerized by his rare smile, Kasumi didn't notice that she was dancing with Ryu in the middle of the floor. She placed her head on his chest while they swayed to the music. She was too distracted to care about where they were standing, her focus was on everything that was related to Ryu. Since the first day she met him, Kasumi was drawn to Ryu. It was more than him being new to the school, and it was more than him being mute. She didn't know what it was, but she knew his emerald eyes had a story to tell. _I want to be the one he tells his story to,_ Kasumi thought.

Opening her eyes, Kasumi leaned back to look at Ryu, who was warily watching her. She quickly let go of Ryu and took a few steps back. Ryu stepped forward, but Kasumi put her arms up to stop him. Ryu was shocked and had no idea if he did anything wrong.

"I think I-," she shook her head, "I need to talk to Hitomi about something."

Before Ryu could stop her, Kasumi turned and walked away. It took him a minute to understand what she said-another for him to get past the dense crowd. He didn't see where Kasumi went, and the crowd of students was beginning to get bigger. _She could have went outside,_ he reasoned. Taking a deep breath, Ryu walked to the entrance of the building.

Ryu's hand barely touched the door before it was pushed open, the force causing his body to be knocked back a few feet. He quickly rolled to stand back up only to dodge a fist that almost hit him. It briefly registered in his mind that the man was wearing a uniform exactly like the guards outside and some of the students were screaming.

The man tried to cut Ryu with a knife although Ryu managed to block the man's arm and make him drop the knife. Ryu swiftly punched the man in the face before flipping him over and separating the man's shoulder. There was a familiar rush in Ryu's veins, and it was reminding him of the training he did with his father.

More guards were starting to approach Ryu, but they only caused him a small amount of pain while he fought them. He was busy dodging someone's quick punches when another person kicked him in the chest. Ryu landed on a table, making it collapse under his weight. Some students were still screaming for their lives, however it was drowned out by the intense ringing in his ears. Ryu had to blink a couple of times since it looked like his surroundings were spinning. He knew that his nose was bleeding, but the pain was nothing compared to how his chest felt.

Meanwhile, the man who kicked Ryu was beginning to walk forward, watching as Ryu shifted in order to get off the floor. As Ryu was starting to pick himself up, the man suddenly kicked him in the left side of his abdomen, making Ryu land on his back again. Staring up at the man, Ryu recognized him as one of the men from the diner-specifically the one who had his hands wrapped around Ryu's throat. He still wore that vicious smirk despite most of his face being covered in scratches.

"You're going to get yours," the man declared, placing a foot on Ryu's chest then adding pressure on it. Ryu grabbed the man's leg and tried to push it off of him although it only made the man put more weight on the leg.

Ryu was beginning to panic while he met the man's gaze. His breathing was becoming more labored by the second and there were black spots creeping on the edge of his vision. Ryu clenched his teeth and tried to bare the pain-his chest burned and his ribs were on the verge of breaking.

"Are you giving up yet?" the man asked. "Let me-"

Before he could continue his sentence, the man was hit in the face with a metal, fold-up chair. Once the man was fully off of him, Ryu took some deep breaths to ease some of the pain. The person held a hand out to him, so he grabbed it and was quickly pulled up. Ryu was soon face to face with a bruised Hayate, who made sure Ryu didn't pass out before he spoke.

"Come on, you can't let these guys see you in pain," he said as Ryu checked himself for any broken ribs. Fortunately there weren't any, so Hayate nodded at Ryu then left to handle some other business. Trying not to limp, Ryu started walking to the entrance.

All of the students must have left, the silence being the only thing to accompany Ryu. He glanced at all of the bodies that are laying around on the floor and concluded that Hayate dealt with them. Opening the door, Ryu stopped in the lobby and closed his eyes.

"Stop! Let go of me!"

He quickly opened his eyes when he recognized the voice. _Kasumi._ He walked closer to a hallway on the right side and saw Rig standing across from Kasumi, who was holding her arm. Ryu couldn't hear what Rig was saying, but whatever he said made Kasumi gasp. She stepped back after Rig pulled out a switchblade and came closer to her.

Springing into action, Ryu moved to stand behind Rig and swept his feet from under him. Rig got back up and grabbed Ryu by the front of his shirt before tossing him to the other side of the lobby. He raised his head to see a terrified Kasumi and motioned for her to leave the building, then turned to Rig after she left. He coughed up a little blood and watched as Rig examined his switchblade.

"I'm surprised you're not dead yet. Let's see how long you can stay standing," Rig stated.

He sprinted to Ryu and swung his right arm, however Ryu caught it, turned around and slammed his elbow into Rig's face. Rig stumbled then swung again, the blade cutting across Ryu's arm. The move caught Ryu off guard, so Rig jumped at the chance to knock Ryu off of his feet. Ryu rolled out of the way when Rig was close to kicking him in the face, but the wall behind him kept him from getting past Rig.

Rig swiftly put a knee on Ryu's chest, pinning him to the floor. The switchblade was brought down to cut Ryu's neck although he managed to stop it, deep cuts crossing the palms of his hands in the process. All of the scars and bruises on Ryu were starting to affect him, and he was struggling with holding Rig's arm. _I can not die here._ Before Ryu lost his grip, the blade was shot out of Rig's hand.

Rig was pulled away from Ryu and pinned to the ground a second later. Ryu was too exhausted to move, so he kept still and listened to the various people shouting around him. Someone came over and threw one of his arms around their shoulder before lifting him up. He realized the person was his father, who looked calm despite the worry in his eyes.

"Let's get you out of here," Joe said as Ryu closed his eyes.

...

 **Sorry for a late update, I wanted to take my time with this one. Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	19. Chapter 19

Silence Brings Pain: Chapter 19

 **SBP is a few numbers past 2,000 views! I know that's not much, but I'm happy to know that people are still reading!**

 **Enjoy!**

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After an unknown amount of time, Ryu opened his eyes. He didn't know where he was; however, he could tell that he was on a hospital bed. He lifted a hand to rub his eye, but stopped when he felt a little bit of pain spread from his hand to the rest of his arm. He didn't understand why his hand was hurting until memories of last night suddenly flooded his mind-causing him to look at the rest of his body.

Both of his hands were wrapped in gauze and medical tape, which stopped at his wrists. There were many dark bruises covering most of his arms, and some gauze was wrapped around part of his left arm. Four IV needles were placed on the inside of his forearms, each of them connected to one of the bags that were on the stand next to him.

More bruises and some small scratches were scattered across his torso although they were overshadowed by the large bruise in the middle of his chest. Fortunately, Ryu's nose wasn't broken even if it felt like it was. He also had to be careful about taking deep breaths since his ribs might be fractured.

When a cough came from the other side of the room, Ryu realized that he wasn't alone. He turned his head and saw Hayate, who was still asleep. Hayate's right arm was in a sling, but Ryu couldn't tell if it was broken or not. There was also a dark ring around his eye and a scratch on his cheek that curved down to his neck. Ryu frowned before he looked at the ceiling of the plain room.

 _No matter what I do, I end up dragging people into my problems. Kasumi was close to being stabbed, and Hayate is here with a potential broken arm. They would not be hurt if I did not go to that dance. Hell, none of this would have happened if I moved here in the first place. I thought that moving would give a chance to start over, but I still make the wrong decisions. I always try to think things through although in the end I can not fix my damn problems. The main thing I have done so far is bring people down with me._

His thoughts were put on hold when Hayate coughed again. Ryu glanced at him again and met Hayate's blank expression. Ryu had no idea what to say, so he watched Hayate's eyes shift over to the clock on the wall. It was quiet before Hayate gave a sigh of relief and looked directly at Ryu.

"Are you okay?" Hayate asked. A small frown appeared on his face as he stared at how careful Ryu was being while he lifted his arms to respond.

 _'Honestly? No. I should be asking you that question,'_ Ryu signed before pointing at Hayate's arm.

"I can't remember why my arm is in a sling, but besides that I'm alright," Hayate answered, slightly confused. He raised an eyebrow when Ryu turned away, and was going to question it until he saw the guilt written on Ryu's face.

 _'I want to apologize.'_

Surprised by Ryu's statement, Hayate asked, "Why?"

 _'For being the reason you are hurt. I would most likely be dead if you didn't show up, but I don't want anyone getting hurt because I dragged them into my problems. If I didn't go to that dance, Kasumi would not have been in danger and we would not be here. I am always the reason behind something that went wrong.'_

Hayate hesitated for a moment then responded, "Ryu, ever since I forced you to tell us what was wrong with you, we were involved. Hitomi spoke for all of us when she said that we'll have your back, don't think that we didn't mean it. I wasn't going to let you deal with those guards when I knew that I could help you. You're my best friend, Ryu. I can't let you suffer alone. Besides, that was one of the best fights I was involved in. You're not always the reason for something going wrong, either. You wouldn't be this close to figuring everything out if you didn't have the nerve to search for the answers."

An immeasurable amount of guilt was taken off of Ryu's shoulders when Hayate finished speaking. He knew Hayate was right, he just needed to stop putting so much pressure on himself. _'Thank you. I guess I could say that you are my best friend too.'_

The room was quickly filled with Hayate's laugh, causing Ryu to shake his head and watch as Hayate tried to calm down. It took him a few seconds before he faced Ryu and asked, "How long do you think we'll be out of school? I need a break from that place."

"It all depends on if you two are allowed back," a voice answered.

Startled by the voice, the boys looked towards the door and saw Joe and Shiden. Shiden wore his usual blank expression while Joe was frowning, and both men appeared as if they didn't get any sleep. They quietly grabbed a chair from along the wall and sat down next to each other in the space between Ryu and Hayate.

"Why would we not be allowed to come back to school?" Hayate asked, genuinely concerned.

"I don't know. We're supposed to have a meeting with Miss Douglas about it," Shiden answered.

 _'How did she find out about this?'_

"Someone reported it to the media, and now this has been mentioned on the news since early this morning. As far as they know, last night could have been a result of gang violence and they are searching for the two teenagers who were-unfortunately-harmed during the fight," Joe joined in, moving his finger while he pointed at Ryu and Hayate.

"We left before some reporters showed up, and brought you two to the Agency," Shiden added.

There was a pause in the conversation when Ryu noticed that two of the IVs fell out of his arm. He couldn't do anything about it, so he watched a small amount of blood appear on the spots where the needles were. Joe sighed then stood up to remove the blood and place the needles back in Ryu's arm-nodding in response to Ryu's gratitude. He didn't know if Ryu was in pain or not, but he knew things would be worse if his son wasn't on the pain medicine. _Good thing Shiden and I got there in time. I can't imagine what would have happened if we were too late,_ Joe thought _._

"Why is my arm in this sling? I don't remember breaking it," Hayate questioned.

"You didn't, you only sprained your wrist. The sling is supposed to keep it elevated or otherwise your wrist will swell," Shiden responded.

Hayate groaned, making Ryu stare at him as if he lost his mind. He couldn't understand why Hayate was angry about his wrist-at least he wasn't the one with bruises and scars covering most of his body. _I'm being bitter because injuries like that don't faze me anymore,_ Ryu thought after he shook his head.

 _'At least you are not in a worse condition,'_ Ryu signed. Hayate was going to reply, but Joe suddenly snapped his fingers and gained everyone's attention.

"Speaking of condition, it will be a while before you completely heal," Joe informed. "In case you didn't know, you have stitches across both of your palms and two of your ribs were almost broken."

 _'That doesn't seem any different from the usual.'_

"I agree. One of our doctors said you can walk around, but avoid moving too much," Joe warned.

 _'I understand. What happened to Rig? I have not seen him since the fight in the lobby.'_

"Wait. You fought him? I didn't think he would confront you in a public place," Hayate commented.

 _'I had a reason to confront him. I couldn't let him hurt someone with a switchblade.'_

Giving Ryu a knowing look, Shiden cut in, "Good. Your _reason_ is at home with her mother right now, probably worrying about everyone. I don't want her involved in this mess."

"Hey! Are you calling my son a mess?" Joe exclaimed, frowning at Shiden. A confused expression appeared on Shiden's face while Hayate's eyes lit up like he just figured out what they were talking about. Ryu hoped his father wouldn't cause a scene when he saw him rise from his chair to glare down at Shiden.

"What? No, Joe, I was not calling Ryu a mess. I was referring to the media and their hunt for more information about last night," Shiden explained.

"Oh. I was ready to kick your ass for no reason," Joe declared, sitting back down.

"Anyway," Shiden began, ignoring Joe, "Rig is spending some time in solitude while Joe and I wait on our clearance for interrogation."

"What are you going to ask him?" Hayate asked. Shiden went to place his chair back in its original spot then stood near the door. He shrugged and stared at Joe, who looked as unsure as Shiden did.

"I don't know, but I doubt if he will cooperate. You two should get some rest, last night was crazy and I could use some sleep," Joe answered.

With that statement, Joe and Shiden left the room. _Maybe I will get some answers from this interrogation,_ Ryu thought after he closed his eyes.

...

 **I don't know why, but I had fun writing this chapter. Thanks for reading. Please review!**


	20. Chapter 20

Silence Brings Pain: Chapter 20

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dead or Alive or any of its characters. I only own this plot.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

Over the next week, Ryu's condition had greatly improved. There is only a thin layer of bandages covering his palms although the large bruise is still on his chest. He can also walk around now despite having to wear a short-sleeved, button-down shirt with all of the buttons undone, for _safety measures_ as his father said. He didn't care if people could see his scars, Ryu already came to accept the scars as something that defined him. He was currently sitting in what looks like a break room, drinking some water and staring out of the window next to him. People in the room were rushing to unknown places, making Ryu think about what could be causing all of the commotion. Closing his eyes, Ryu listened as the voices started to blend together and fill his mind.

A hand suddenly landed on Ryu's shoulder, causing him to open his eyes and see his father. Joe was standing next to his son, a small frown on his face. He seemed to be stressed out and there was a tired expression in his eyes. He shook his head then glanced at his son and spoke. "Walk with me, Ryu."

Ryu knew there was something bothering his father, so he stood up from his chair and followed him. As they strolled down the long hallway, Ryu thought of a list of things that could be wrong. _There's a chance he didn't get the approval for interrogation, or the meeting with Miss Douglas didn't turn out well,_ he thought. Many other ideas were forming, but Ryu was distracted by the brown double-doors his father pushed open. The inside of the room was similar to an office, with a large desk in the middle of the room and a view of the city's skyline behind it. There was a computer on the desk and two chairs were in front of the desk along with a black sofa near the chairs.

A door on the right side of the room was open, and Joe lead Ryu to what could be considered as a conference room. A circular table was close to the back of the room with ten chairs surrounding it. There was another view of the city's skyline, this time on the left side of the room. Ryu didn't notice Shiden sitting in one of the chairs at the table until Joe began speaking.

"Where's Hayate?" Joe questioned, skipping a seat before sitting down. Ryu sat down on the other side as he recalled Hayate not being in the room when he left this morning. Shiden stopped typing on his laptop to glance at Joe before he continued typing.

"He should be on his way here. I sent him to go get us some breakfast," he replied.

"How long will it take for him to get here? We need to talk about this before anything else happens," Joe responded.

"I'm right here," Hayate interrupted. He was holding the door open with his leg while carrying a box in his free hand. Seconds later, a woman with black hair and brown eyes stepped into the room. She quickly thanked Hayate before directing her attention to the two men who were busy opening the box. She rolled her eyes and watched as they each grabbed a donut before she cleared her throat.

"Oh. Good morning, Kokoro," Shiden greeted.

"Good morning, Shiden and Joe. There's a woman here looking for you two," she responded. Joe finished his donut then turned to face Kokoro.

"Do you know her name?" he asked.

"I think she said it was Helena Douglas. She's sitting in the conference room on the first floor."

Ryu and Hayate stopped their conversation when they heard the woman's name. Joe cursed and stood up while Shiden quickly placed all of the papers that were on the table into a neat stack. Both men thanked Kokoro then motioned for Ryu and Hayate to follow them. The group walked over to an elevator, and Shiden pressed the button that would take them to the first floor. It was quiet until Joe decided to say something.

"I thought this meeting was scheduled for sometime later today. I didn't know she would show up early," he commented.

"Same here. Maybe she just wants to get this over with or something," Shiden joined in. The elevator made a ringing sound before the doors opened, so the group stepped out and continued walking to their destination. Joe stopped and opened the door to the conference room, causing the people inside to notice his presence. Ryu was surprised to see Kasumi and her mother sitting with Miss Douglas, but he brushed the thought off as he sat down next to his father.

"Now that formalities are over, I think we should start this meeting," Joe said. "What would you like to discuss, Miss Douglas?"

"I came here to talk about what happened during that school dance. People who had attended the dance told me that they saw Ryu fighting-in the middle of the room-with a security guard. They also say that they've witnessed him dislocate the guard's arm. I was told that Hayate was also seen fighting a few security guards, too. Is any of this information true?" she asked. Ryu and Joe shared a knowing glance before Joe turned back to Miss Douglas.

"That may or may not be true. I am not sure I understand the point you might be trying to make," Joe replied.

"That kind of action is dangerous," she started, "and could hurt a lot of people. That type of behavior makes him a threat to students, teachers, and others at the school. It's almost like he learned how to be a killer!"

Kasumi gasped as Ryu lifted his arms and leaned forward, but Joe grabbed Ryu's wrist to stop him. Miss Douglas's eyes widened as an angry expression appeared on Joe's face before it was replaced by a blank stare. Ryu placed his hands on the table and tried to calm himself down while Joe continued.

"My son was defending himself. Did any of your little informants tell you that the guard had attacked Ryu first? Or did they only tell you what you needed to know in order to remove my son from the school?" he asked, barely hiding the anger in his voice.

While Miss Douglas struggled to find an answer, Shiden cleared his throat and joined the conversation. "Your lack of response tells us how much you know about what happened. Those guards were after Ryu, and just so you know, my son was helping him. You need to think about who you decided to hire as security before you accuse anyone of resembling a killer."

Miss Douglas didn't say anything, so Shiden sighed and glanced at Joe, who was busy checking to see if Ryu was okay. Joe gave Ryu a thumbs up and whispered something then returned his attention to the conversation. "Who hired those guards for the dance?"

"I did. They worked for a popular company, so I thought I could trust them," she confided. Ayame gasped while Kasumi covered her mouth, both surprised at the answer. Hayate looked out of the nearby window and Ryu began tapping on the table, each boy trying to find a distraction. Joe and Shiden hesitated until Shiden asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

"What is the name of the company?"

Suddenly, a red light started flashing in the room along with an alarm ringing in the halls. Joe and Shiden lead everyone out of the room and to the front of the building. A few minutes later, the lights and the noise ceased, causing the group to stop like the other people who were also going to the entrance.

"What the hell was that?" Joe demanded. There was confusion among the large group of people, but they all grew quiet when they heard Joe's voice. Kokoro then appeared from the other side of the crowd and stood in front of Joe.

"I think it was a glitch in the system, but that's not the weird thing about this situation," she informed.

"What do you mean by that?" he inquired.

"There's a bag near the entrance with your name printed on the side of it," she reported. The crowd slowly backed away, giving Joe a clear view of the bag. It was a medium-sized blue duffle bag with the name 'Joe Hayabusa' printed on the side. Joe raised an eyebrow and turned back to the group.

"That bag is not mine," he announced. Ryu was suspicious about the bag, and the silence only helped make it worse. Shiden was standing in front of Ayame and Hayate, Kasumi was next to Ryu, and Joe was a step or two closer to the bag than everyone else. After a few seconds, Joe tensed and stepped away from the bag.

"Does anyone else hear that?" he implored.

Shiden shook his head and replied, "I don't hear anything, Joe."

A few more seconds passed before Ryu also tensed and looked at the bag. There were was a clicking sound coming from it-he heard two clicks before it stopped for a few seconds, then the process would repeat. The clicks started getting faster, making Ryu snap his fingers to gain his father's attention. Joe turned to Ryu although he paused as the clicks got faster with every second and there was no longer a pause in between them. Both Ryu and Joe's eyes widened once they realized what was inside that bag.

"Everyone move! It's a-"

Suddenly, the bag exploded, and everyone who was in the area was blown away from it. Ryu barely had enough time to to grab Kasumi before he landed on his side with her gripping the front of his shirt. The smell of smoke overwhelmed him and he could tell that a part of the building was on fire. A loud noise was heard when a pillar collapsed along with all of the glass in the area shattering. The smoke slowly began flowing out of the building, giving everyone a little more room to breathe.

Not wanting to risk moving, Ryu kept his eyes closed and continued holding Kasumi to his chest. She was shaking from both fear and shock, so he grabbed one of her hands and squeezed it gently. Minutes later, Ryu opened his eyes after he felt something fall on his arm. The sprinklers were on although Ryu thought that they didn't serve much of a purpose at that point. He sat up and tilted Kasumi's head so she could see him before he started signing.

 _'Are you okay, Kasumi?'_

Slightly squeezing his hand, Kasumi looked down and met his gaze again. "My side hurts a little, but I'll be okay," she paused then continued, "Ryu, you're bleeding."

Ryu lifted his free hand and saw that it was bleeding, he also touched the left side of his face and felt more blood. _'I'll be fine,'_ he signed, standing up to get a better view of the aftermath.

Most of the room was covered in ash and there were pieces of the building all over the place. The ceiling was still intact, but there's a chance that it will fall apart since pieces of it were hanging from the rest. Part of the building was still burning, but the fire department has just arrived on the scene to handle it. Ryu turned around, noticing that Hayate was pulling the partially burned cast off of his arm-dirt and two small cuts covering his face. Shiden was helping Ayame stand up -she seemed to be unharmed while Shiden had a series of scratches covering his right arm.

Ryu's demeanor changed from surprise to worry as he realized that there was one person missing from the area: his father. His eyes shifted to rest of the room, but he still couldn't find him. _He was closer to the explosive than anyone else,_ Ryu thought. _What if he...? No, I can't think like that right now._

 _'I need to find my father,'_ Ryu signed before he walked away. He checked just about the whole area and still didn't see his father. He was trying to keep himself calm, but that plan was failing with every moment of disappointment when he didn't find his father. Ryu walked by a room with a large window next to the door, noticing that the window was broken in an odd way. After coming closer to the window, he looked inside the room and saw a figure lying down on top of a broken table.

With wide eyes and shaking hands, Ryu pushed the door open and rushed to the person's body. The person turned out to be Joe, who had burns covering most of his arms along with multiple small cuts on the right side of his face. Coughing, Joe stared at Ryu then asked, "Are you alright, Ryu?"

Ryu nodded and signed, _'Do not stress your voice, father. Let's get out of here.'_

Joe weakly chuckled before going into another coughing fit, so Ryu gently placed one of Joe's arms over his shoulders, making sure he didn't touch the burned skin. Ryu shifted to adjust his father then left the room and trudged back to the front of the building. As he got closer, he noticed all of the people being put on gurneys and Shiden was explaining what happened to some guy. Both men stopped talking when Shiden moved to help carry Joe while the man went to search for more medical help.

The man quickly returned with three medics behind him. Shiden and Ryu brought Joe to a nearby bench then gave the medics some space to do their job. Another medic came to Ryu and asked him to sit down on the other side of the room so she could take a look at him. Ryu reluctantly sat down, allowing her to unwrap the gauze on his hand. He flinched when he saw how the stitches in his palm had reopened and struggled with keeping his hand still in order for her to fix it. He also had to get stitches on the left side of his forehead, but he didn't care since he was more worried about his father than anything else.

He thanked the medic and walked away once he realized that the medics were done helping his father. There was gauze wrapped around both of Joe's arms and the cuts on his face weren't bleeding anymore. Joe didn't say anything while he watched Shiden sit down between him and Ayame, who was also sitting next to Kasumi and Hayate. It was quiet for a while until Joe coughed then started speaking.

"I'm going to go through with the interrogation," he announced. That statement was enough to gain everyone's attention, causing them to stare at Joe wearily.

"You can't interrogate someone without clearance, Joe. That's against protocol," Shiden claimed.

"Screw protocol," Joe exclaimed while standing up to face Shiden. "Look at what just happened!"

"I see it. Do not let your personal feelings-"

"Personal? This has been personal ever since those people chose to ruin my son's life! Now they basically want to kill everyone else by leaving an explosive here! Open your damn eyes, Shiden, they are after more than one person now. We need to find a way to stop H.W.R.N while we still can," Joe interrupted angrily.

A couple of minutes passed while neither man said anything else, and Ryu was getting nervous about the silence. It has been a while since Ryu saw his father angry-he should have known that even his father's patience had a limit. Ryu watched as his father frowned and turned to walk away.

"Joe," Shiden called. Joe stopped walking and turned to face Shiden, who stood up and took another glance at his surroundings.

"I'm coming with you," Shiden declared. He faced his wife and continued, "I need both you and Kasumi to go home for now-Hayate will stay here with me. If anything happens, don't hesitate to call me."

As Kasumi and Ayame prepared to leave, Shiden and Hayate went to stand where Joe was although Ryu remained in his spot. He was unsure about what was going to happen from here, and there were some things that he still hasn't figured out. A pair of arms suddenly wrapped around him, and somehow Ryu already knew that Kasumi was the person hugging him. _I should tell her now,_ he thought while he hugged her back. Before he could lean back, he was surprised by the kiss Kasumi had placed on his cheek. She stepped back with a blush and turned to walk away although Ryu gently grabbed her wrist, placed a hand on her cheek, then leaned in to kiss her.

It didn't last long, but there were more things said in that kiss than words could have counted for.

...

 **Thanks for reading. Please review!**


	21. Chapter 21

Silence Brings Pain: Chapter 21

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

It was quiet while the group walked to the interrogation room. Joe was in the front with Shiden next to him, and Ryu and Hayate were a few steps behind them. Ryu was surprised by what has happened so far, and he could only hope that things didn't take a turn for the worse. He knew that both Shiden and Hayate had something to say although he didn't know why they were hesitating about it. Joe led the group to a metal door before opening it to reveal a spiral staircase. They ascended two flights of stairs before Joe opened another door that led to the third floor.

As he looked around, Ryu noticed the absence of people. He frowned and continued walking, trying to keep his anger from going out of control. Almost everyone was on the first floor before the explosion, but now some of them are hurt and on their way to the hospital. Joe still had an angry expression, and Shiden suddenly felt the need to say something about it. He stopped walking and decided to think about what he could say to Joe that wouldn't make him angrier. Everyone had stopped a few seconds later, and Ryu flinched at the anger-filled glare Joe was using against Shiden. _Please do not let a fight happen now,_ Ryu wished as he watched Hayate take a step back.

"Joe, you need to calm down," Shiden advised. Joe threw his arms up and began pacing back and forth before facing Shiden.

"I know, but I don't think I can! I'm so angry, and I don't know what to do about it! Everytime it seems like we're closer to getting to the bottom of this, everything goes to hell," Joe replied. Shiden didn't get a chance to respond due to Ryu suddenly signing although no one knew what it meant. Joe raised an eyebrow at Ryu's irritated expression and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Ryu," Joe sighed, "I didn't catch all of that. Slow down this time."

' _I asked if you should really be moving your arms around like that,'_ he repeated. He honestly wasn't sure about what he signed-he just wanted to distract them from an impending argument.

"Don't worry, I only have second-degree burns. They don't even cover all of my arms," Joe answered, throwing an arm over Ryu's shoulders.

"I don't think you should brush that off so easily," Hayate commented. Joe laughed and shrugged while Shiden sighed.

"He always push those types of things aside. He thinks he's invincible although I have to knock some sense into him once in a while," Shiden explained.

"You know my bloodline. When this is over, we'll see who will beat the other in a fight," Joe claimed.

"Alright, but let's start this interrogation," Shiden agreed. He opened a black door and continued, "Hayate and Ryu, you two can watch the interrogation in here. You know, one-way glass and stuff."

Ryu walked in first, and he frowned as soon as he saw Rig. Rig had a large bruise on his right cheek along with a small cut under his eye. His hands were shaking and it seemed like he didn't get any rest ever since he was brought in. Hayate cursed and shook his head before sitting down in a chair while Ryu sat down on the table, each boy worried about the outcome of this. Moments later, Shiden and Joe entered and both men stood in front of Rig, who smirked when he recognized them.

"I see the higher-ups finally gave you two clearance," Rig said.

"Fuck clearance," Joe responded while Shiden sat down. Surprise could clearly be seen on Rig's face even though he tried to hide it.

"Y-You can't do that," Rig claimed. Shiden smirked and glanced at Joe, who was watching Rig and strolling around the room.

"Like hell we can't. We're two of the best agents here, we do what we want when it comes down to getting information," Shiden declared.

"And look who ended up in our hands," Joe taunted, stopping to stand behind Rig. His amusement grew when Rig tensed and glanced at the door like he wanted to run away.

"I want a lawyer," Rig demanded.

"This isn't a damn police station. You're not getting a lawyer because of what you did," Shiden stated. Rig put on a brave face as he leaned back in his chair.

"What did I do?"

"Aggravated assault."

Rig didn't reply immediately, but he looked at Joe after he remembered something. "I did try to slit your son's throat, didn't I? I was so close."

Joe slammed a hand on the table, making Rig jump in his seat. "If you don't tell us what we want to know, you will regret it," Joe nearly growled.

Despite hearing the threat that wasn't hidden in Joe's words, Rig countered, "Getting answers out of me is just like your son gaining a voice. Impossible!"

Before anyone could react, Joe had Rig's face slammed into the table and an arm held up behind him. Joe swiftly broke Rig's pinky and ring fingers before Shiden pulled him away, leaving Rig at the table while he pushed Joe against the wall. Rig lifted his hand to his chest and glared at Joe after he finished screaming.

"You son of a bitch! My fingers," Rig shouted, rocking back and forth.

"You're lucky as hell those are the only things I managed to break!"

Shiden grabbed Joe's arm and dragged him out of the room, slamming the door in the process. It was silent on the other side of the glass, both boys surprised by how things went from bad to worse in a couple of minutes. They heard Shiden curse loudly, and Hayate gave a little sigh of relief when it became quiet in the hall.

"That escalated quickly," Hayate declared, trying to ease the tension. He faced Ryu, who didn't do anything besides stare at the floor. Ryu's hands tightly gripped the edge of the table while he struggled to keep himself from shaking so much.

 _I didn't ask for this,_ he thought. His grip tightened and he bit his lip in order to distract himself from his thoughts. He felt like screaming, but he knew that if he opened his mouth, no type of sound would come out. All of these thoughts and feelings were becoming too much, and Ryu was sure that they will suffocate him soon. _When did everything go wrong?!_ He stopped biting his lip when it started bleeding, and he nearly lost it when Hayate placed a hand on his shoulder.

Ryu tried to remove his hand, but Hayate always had a strong grip, so he chose to turn his head away from Hayate. Tears were on the verge of falling although they didn't get the chance to since Ryu quickly wiped his eyes as he took a few deep breaths.

"Ryu, don't let Rig's words affect you. He's just trying to mess with your father," Hayate assured. Ryu abruptly turned to Hayate, causing his hand to fall off of Ryu's shoulder.

 _'I know, but he's right! Hell, you thought I was deaf the first time we met! No matter what, the first thing people will know about me is that I can not talk,'_ he sighed before turning away.

Hayate hesitated then responded, "Kasumi didn't think that."

Ryu turned to Hayate again, surprised by what he said. _'What?'_

"When you two first met, Kasumi didn't care about you being mute. You should have heard how she described you to our parents; she even gave details and 'mute' was at the bottom of her list of characteristics-the first being your eyes if I remember correctly. I can tell that she views you as one of the most important people in her life. And if that kiss I saw was anything to go by, I know you view her as the same."

 _'Of course I do.'_

"Then quit blaming yourself for something you couldn't control. Kasumi will be upset if she was here right now," Hayate finished, going to his chair. Ryu thanked him and returned to the table, each boy directing his attention back to the interrogation. Shiden was sitting across from Rig again, who was still holding his hand.

"Listen, you need to tell me everything you know about H.W.R.N. or more people are going to die soon," Shiden declared.

"I've never heard of them until now," Rig argued.

"He's lying," Joe interrupted, carrying a laptop with a phone connected to it. Rig's eyes widened and he looked at Shiden in disbelief.

"I thought you said he couldn't come back in here!"

"I didn't say that," Shiden disagreed. Rig was going to protest but Joe cut him off.

"If you don't know anything about H.W.R.N., why do you have a collection of phone numbers under that name?" Joe asked.

"Who said that you can go through my phone?"

"There is no need for permission at this point. Now, answer the question," Shiden demanded.

"Those are some of my friends," Rig lied, glancing at the wall. Shiden pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, trying not to lose the small amount of patience he has.

"Really? Well, according to the school's security cameras, a man was seen giving you something in a small envelope," Joe reported, showing both Rig and Shiden the pictures. "Next, you were found putting something on Ryu's car. Later, the cameras saw you a few feet from the car, watching Ryu drive away."

Rig was completely speechless, so Joe pulled a small plastic bag out of his pocket and placed it on the table. There was a small, black rectangular thing in the bag although a piece of it was missing. "Do you recognize this?"

"It's a car tracker," Rig answered, avoiding Shiden's gaze.

"Why in the hell was this attached to the front of Ryu's car?"

"Now is the best time to start telling the damn truth," Shiden warned.

After a few seconds of intense silence, Rig confessed. "Alright, alright! I put the tracker on the car. That doesn't mean that I'm involved in anything else."

"Are you listening to yourself?" Shiden asked, moving the laptop so he could use it. He pressed a few keys then turned the laptop so Joe and Rig could see. "These are from the night of the dance. You were talking to those false security guards an hour before it started. Here, you were standing across from a girl while you had a weapon in your hands. I also have a video of the fight between you and Ryu."

Rig was in the middle of making another excuse when Joe crossed his arms and joined in. "All you have to do is tell us who or what H.W.R.N. is, and all of this will end."

"I'm not telling you anything."

"People have died because of them," Shiden shouted. "Do you want to take responsibility for that?!"

It seemed as if Rig wasn't going to change his mind, so Joe decided to offer a few options. "Listen, I don't know about my friend here, but I don't have any problems with hurting someone for information. I already broke two of your fingers, so take a minute to imagine what else I could break. Either you tell us, or I will force you."

While Rig was thinking about the possibilities, Hayate exhaled then looked at Ryu. "Your father is dangerous."

Ryu shrugged, not bothered by his father's use of serious threats. _'He does not have any more patience to deal with Rig. If he had any to begin with.'_

"Would you have done something similar?"

Ryu thought about it before he answered, trying to ignore Hayate's smirk. _'Most likely.'_

After suddenly valuing his life more than anything else, Rig finally gave in. "H.W.R.N. is an assassination group, and there's one person in charge of them. I don't know why, but they asked me if I knew someone named Ryu Hayabusa. I told them that he attended the same school as me, then they started making me keep an eye on him. Everytime I asked them why did I have to do that, they always avoided my questions. That's all I'm saying."

Joe relaxed in his chair and watched Shiden type everything Rig said. "Now you two need to find the location," Rig continued, confidence in his words.

The two men shared a knowing look before facing Rig again, both amused by the boy's ignorance. "No we don't," Shiden announced.

Rig was shocked by that statement, and Shiden couldn't stop his smirk. Moments went by before Rig managed to ask what that could have meant. Shiden was busy putting the laptop and phone away, so Joe turned to face Rig one more time.

"We are always two steps ahead of people," Joe answered, closing the door behind him.

...

Joe and Shiden stood in the hallway for a couple of seconds until Hayate and Ryu joined them, then the group went back to the first floor. They all felt slightly better since they now know what H.W.R.N. is, even if the way they got the information was difficult. Joe sighed and stretched before he broke the silence.

"I'm glad that's over," Joe confided.

"I will never let you participate in interrogations again," Shiden reported.

"What? Why?"

"People tend to often end up hurt by you either physically or mentally. That's why you're usually on the other side of the glass," Shiden revealed.

Joe was offended by the answer, but that didn't stop him from trying to deny it. "That's not completely true. When have I mentally hurt someone?"

"Do you remember what you said to a woman you had to interrogate a few weeks ago?" he asked. Joe was confused, causing Shiden to recall the memory. "She was brought in for shooting her ex-husband and holding her son hostage. After ten minutes of you shouting at her, she was crying and telling the truth about everything."

"She needed to hear the truth. Someone had to tell her how much of a horrible person she was," Joe reasoned.

"Am I the only one who wants to know what he said?" Hayate questioned, realizing he wasn't the only one when he noticed Ryu shaking his head. The conversation was pushed aside after Kokoro approach the group, worry in her eyes.

"There are more people injured than I thought. Miss Douglas has left already, but she wants me to tell one of you that H.W.R.N. was the name of the company she hired those guards from. She also included a potential address," she informed, giving Joe a piece of paper.

"Damn. We should go make an announcement about this," Shiden suggested. Joe agreed and followed Shiden to the front of the building. They both stood on top of a nearby bench before Shiden cleared his throat.

"Attention everyone," Shiden called. He watched as the crowd moved to gather around him and Joe before he spoke again. "First off, I know you all are upset about the bomb that has injured our fellow agents. I am just as ready for revenge as you are, but we can't make any bad decisions right now."

"I also want to confirm that H.W.R.N. was involved in both the diner and dance incidents," Joe joined in. "We also have two possible locations for them, although we haven't figured out which one is their official hideout."

"We should not worry about that at this moment. We need to stick together and help each other out," Shiden commented. He paused when a few people began to cheer, and Joe continued when it grew quiet.

"Let's take a few days to recover from this, then we'll show H.W.R.N. who they shouldn't have attacked. Things will get better, trust me. Situations like this are supposed to make us better than we were before, so let's make that happen. Restless Smoke?" Joe finished, smiling while the crowd was agreeing and cheering.

"Restless Smoke!" Everyone else shouted. Ryu wasn't sure what that phrase meant, but he believed what his father and Shiden said. _Things just might go for the better,_ he thought with a smile on his face.

...

 **This might be one of my favorite chapters so far. I came up with the phrase Restless Smoke to stand as a codeword for 'Understood?' or something like that. Thanks for reading. Please review!**


	22. Chapter 22

Silence Brings Pain: Chapter 22

 **I'm working on another story, but I need an opinion. Who else could Kasumi be in a relationship with besides Hayabusa? I would love to hear some ideas!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"What's wrong, Ryu?"

Lifting his head in response, Ryu saw his father walking towards him with two cups in his hands. Joe gave a cup to Ryu then sat down behind his desk and drank from his own cup. Ryu stared at the view of the skyline in his father's office as he thought about the question; he wasn't sure if it was meant to be about him or previous events. Either way, Ryu didn't know how he was supposed to feel at that moment. He felt better knowing that they were close to figuring out where H.W.R.N. is, but he couldn't shake the feeling of dread that was trying to cling to him.

 _'Nothing. I am just thinking about some things.'_

Joe shifted in his chair and asked, "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

Ryu drank from his cup and relaxed, taking a moment to appreciate the tea before he answered his father. _'There are a few things. I know Miss Douglas gave a possible address, but where did the other one come from?'_

"When we brought Rig in, we took his phone to see if anything suspicious was on it. There were many different codes on his phone, and after a few hours I was able to unlock them all. Besides the phone numbers, his GPS system showed that he spent a lot of time at this one address."

 _'Are the locations related?'_

Joe smirked, proud of how much Ryu tends to think like him. "I was wondering the same thing, so I went to Shiden about it. Turns out, both locations are only a few miles from each other."

 _'I do not trust that,'_ Ryu signed. He drank some more of his tea and watched his father lean back in his chair.

"Neither do I, but it's the only lead we have right now," Joe replied. He could tell that Ryu was still bothered by the coincidence, so he chose to change the subject. "It's almost midnight, how about we go get some sleep? There is an extra room near mine. I also went home to get some things and put yours in there."

Ryu nodded and finished his tea before he excused himself. He opened a door that was on the left side of the office, taking a second to look at the space. _This could be an apartment,_ he thought. Ryu was standing in a room that reminded him of the living room at home, and he could see part of the kitchen from there. He went to place the cup in the sink then walked down the hall and paused between two doors. One of the doors were closed, so Ryu picked the other one since he was starting to get tired.

He quickly pulled off his dirty shirt before throwing it into a corner. Next, he carefully removed the gauze that was on his hands and his forehead; he took his hair out of its ponytail, letting it fall close to his shoulder blades. He searched through one of the bags on the bed until he found another set of clothes and left to take a shower. Thirty minutes later, Ryu managed to get all of that dirt and dried blood off of him. _Finally_ , he thought. He climbed onto the bed and closed his eyes, no longer hesitating to fall asleep.

...

For the first time in a long time, Ryu was sitting in that field again. Too many murders have happened, and Ryu hasn't been in this area since he witnessed the first murder. He quickly stood up, a determined fire in his eyes. Ryu doesn't know what caused the change, but he is done standing by while people are killed then he's left to feel useless. He has been getting closer each time, this dream could finally reveal something that will lead to others being saved.

Ryu's determination didn't falter when he suddenly felt a presence around him. He knew that it was the voice, so he chose to wait for it to say something. After a long period of silence, the voice sighed and spoke.

"Are we feeling brave tonight, young Hayabusa?"

Ryu closed his eyes and mentally voice his thoughts. _'Yes. This could be our last encounter before we meet face to face.'_

"What are you talking about?" the voice asked.

 _'I know what you're doing, but I'll play along. Whoever you are, you work with that assassination group, H.W.R.N.'_

"Congratulations," the voice laughed, "I just wanted to hear you say it. Wait, I meant to say think it."

Ryu frowned and sat back down on the grass. _'I have a question.'_

"I'm listening," the voice stated, genuinely curious.

Ryu was surprised, but he quickly brush the thought off as he continued. _'How can I see these murders? I used to walk around in a fog before I woke up.'_

"Seriously? Think about it," the voice began, "What could have happened to you that would alter your dreams?"

Ryu closed his eyes and tried to remember. Many things have happened, but something about his brief stay at that hospital was beginning to bother him. He didn't know exactly what it was, but it suddenly hit him when his scars started burning for a couple of seconds. He opened his eyes and glared at the empty space in front of him as if the owner of that voice was standing there. _'The shot! How did-'_

"It was easy. First, I had to get a couple of scientists to make it. Second, I had to pay the doctors and nurses a lot of money so they would give the shot to you. I also had to get injected with something in order to observe you, except my body doesn't appear in your dreams. Don't worry, it wouldn't have worked if that doctor your father contacted wasn't already working for me."

 _'You're a sick person! What the hell do you want from me?!'_

The voice laughed in response, so Ryu stood up again with his fists at his sides. The wind is beginning to blow harshly and Ryu knows it's just a matter of time before another person is in danger. _'Why do think this is a joke? I swear on my life, you will regret everything you have done!'_

The voice stopped laughing, apparently stunned by Ryu's promise. Someone screamed loudly, so Ryu ran in the direction he heard it come from. He jumped over that familiar fence and kept going, his determination increasing when he heard the second scream. Ryu slowed to a stop once he noticed a small child kneeling on what could have been a concrete floor. He turned around and noticed that he wasn't in the field anymore; instead he was standing in a large room mostly full of boxes and crates along with some tables.

Walking closer he saw that the child was a little boy with short, black hair and hazel eyes. He frowned as the boy's cries reached his ears. That invisible wall stopped him from going any further, but he was still close enough to possibly touch the boy. He kneeled and stared at they boy.

 _'Hey, are you okay?'_

The boy faced Ryu with wide eyes then shook his head. "No," he whispered. "Who are you?"

 _'My name is Ryu. What is your name? How old are you?'_

The boy glanced away for a second before he looked back. "Alex. I'm nine years old."

 _He's too young for this,_ Ryu thought. Alex glanced at the door every few seconds, fear in his eyes. _'How did you get in here, Alex?'_

Alex hesitated as he tried to remember how he ended up in that situation. "I was walking with my mom before I lost her in a large crowd. I tried to look for her, but a lady showed up and claimed that she knew my mom. I have never seen her before, so I ran away."

 _'You did the right thing. What did the lady look like?'_

"I remember seeing steel gray eyes," Alex informed. Both boys heard a thud from the other side of the door, and Alex pushed himself against the wall some more. Ryu backed away and held a finger to his lips when the door was forced open.

After the figure stepped in the room, the first thing Ryu saw was white hair. The woman was tall and her hair didn't reach her shoulders. There was black smoke covering both of her hands and a knife attached to her thigh. _She was the shadow this whole time?_ The woman started walking around the room, so Ryu crawled over to a table just in case the woman saw him. She couldn't find what she was searching for and was going to leave, but the worst thing happened.

Alex sneezed.

Upon hearing the noise, the woman smiled and moved towards the corner while Ryu quickly got to his feet. He could only watch as she picked Alex up by his shirt and slammed him against the wall. Ryu stumbled due to the force of the slam then placed his hands on the barrier. The boy shouted although he stopped when she held the knife to his face. Ryu was beginning to panic since he still didn't know how to get to the other side. _No! Stop!_ Knowing that there was no way he could help Alex, Ryu punched the invisible wall out of pure frustration.

That's when it shattered.

It was as if time slowed down while tiny pieces of the wall fell around Ryu. The woman's knifed slowly continued inching towards Alex's face, but Ryu was quick enough to push her away. He was just as surprised as the woman, who glared at him and grabbed her knife again. As she tried to cut him across his face, Ryu lifted his left arm to block it. She then used her free hand to hit his side and followed up with a roundhouse kick, which he barely dodged.

Seeing an opening, Ryu punched her in the stomach. He leaned back when she tried to stab him, causing the knife to get stuck in a table. He punched the right side of her face, forcing her to let go of it. She caught him off guard with a flurry of punches before taking the chance to kick him in his chest. Ryu landed on top of a table, his breath temporarily knocked out of him. The woman was suddenly above him, swinging the knife down near his head. After she fortunately missed, Ryu kicked her away from him. It didn't register in his mind that the knife was in his hand until he swiftly threw it at the woman. It hit her in the shoulder, blood instantly starting to flow out of the wound.

While she moved to pull it out, something made her pause. A shadow suddenly formed around her, but she was gone after it disappeared. Ryu was still trying to understand what happened when Alex showed up next to him. "Are you alright?"

Ryu stood up and rubbed his side before he turned to Alex. _'I will be okay.'_

"Did you know that woman?"

 _'I might have seen her before,'_ Ryu answered, unsure of himself. A confused expression was on Alex's face while he stared at Ryu.

"How can you talk without your mouth moving?"

Ryu usually would've been offended by a question like that, but he couldn't bring himself to be angry at the child's curiosity. _'I do not have a voice, so I am technically thinking. Now, it's my turn for a question. How can you see me, Alex?'_

The boy frowned and thought for a moment. He shrugged and walked towards the door then stopped to face Ryu. "I don't know, but you look like a ghost to me. Thank you for saving my life, Ryu."

 _'You're welcome, Alex,'_ he replied. Ryu watched the boy leave the room and noticed that his surroundings were changing back to the field. The pressure around him alerted Ryu to the voice's return. _I bet he didn't expect that,_ Ryu thought.

"No, no, no! You're supposed to be dead right now," the voice shouted. "She was supposed to carve so many cuts into that child that no one will recognize you in the end!"

Ryu smirked, glad to hear how upset the voice was. He was happy that he managed to help Alex, he just disliked the idea of that woman trying to kill children. The voice was still shouting about something, but Ryu didn't care about it. _I saved one life. I know can save more._

"How the hell-"

 _'Am I alive?'_ Ryu interrupted. _'It was easy. First, I convinced myself that I will help someone this time. Second, I managed to break the wall and prevented that woman from hurting the boy. Don't worry, I probably wouldn't be standing here if you didn't rely on other people to do your killing. After all, I am only a mute kid with mysterious scars and self-worth problems, according to you.'_

"How dare you use my own words against me? There will always be consequences for your actions," the voice claimed. Ryu shook his head and watched as the sun slowly started rising.

 _'I know. You need to understand that I am not dying any time soon, especially if it will be by your hands.'_

...

 **Thanks for reading. Please review!**


	23. Chapter 23

Silence Brings Pain: Chapter 23

 **It's been a while since I did a disclaimer, so...I don't own Dead or Alive and its characters. I only own this plot.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Shiden?"

"I think it is, Joe. How long has he been asleep?"

"Well, it was almost midnight when he went to bed. Now, it's almost eleven in the morning."

"What's wrong with that? I thought you had a valid reason for calling me here."

"I know when something isn't right with my son, Shiden. He usually doesn't sleep this long, unless he was unconscious the night before. I can't even tell if he's injured or not, and I've been watching him for thirty minutes."

True to his words, Joe has been watching Ryu for the past thirty minutes. He thought of it as odd if his son wasn't awake around this time, so he called Shiden and asked for him to come to his office. Both men were standing a short distance away from the bed, watching as Ryu rolled over to lay on his back. Shiden frowned and pointed at Ryu's chest.

"Did that bruise always look like that?" Shiden questioned. Joe looked over at the bruise, remembering that Ryu had told him that it was healing last time it was brought up. Now, though, the bruise appeared as if it didn't heal at all. Joe shook his head in response and faced Shiden.

"As far as I know, Ryu always wakes up after he's injured. Why is this time different from the others? He could be hurt right now, and I wouldn't know," Joe complained.

"Did you experience something similar when you were his age?"

"No, not exactly. Besides the normal heightened senses, I have these...odd feelings about stuff. I guess it could be considered an enhanced version of clairsentience."

Shiden nodded then took a second to glance at Ryu, who currently had his back turned to them. A knock suddenly came from the doorway, and both men moved to see Hayate standing there. Hayate opened his mouth to speak, but he closed it when he noticed that Ryu was still asleep. It was quiet until Joe asked Hayate if he needed something.

"No, but Miss Kokoro wanted me to tell both of you that your equipment from R&D is almost ready," he recalled.

Shiden watched as Joe went to sit in the chair that was by the desk. "Good since we're leaving in a few weeks," he replied. Upon hearing that, Joe stood up and faced Shiden.

"What? I thought we weren't doing anything yet," Joe claimed.

"I was thinking the same thing, but I guess we're going to have to move everything ahead of schedule," Shiden informed. Joe closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Why? There's not much we can do at this point," Joe added. Shiden leaned against the wall, a frustrated expression on his face. "Did this idea come from the higher-ups?

"Of course it did. The only reason they want us to do this sooner rather than later is because of the possibility of H.W.R.N. striking us while we're down. Not to mention the fact that they're still mad at us for disregarding protocol," Shiden explain. Joe ran a hand through his hair and started pacing around the room, mumbling curses under his breath.

Over on the bed, Ryu was beginning to wake up. He lazily raised his hands to rub the sleep out of his eyes. _That actually did happen,_ he realized as thoughts of the dream invaded his mind. He sat up and froze when he noticed that his father, Shiden, and Hayate were standing in the room. They all had their backs turned to him, so they had no idea that he was awake. Nothing could explain how confused Ryu was-there were a lot of things he still had to process.

He could only catch on to bits and pieces of what they were talking about, but he did hear his father mention a plan for something. Ready to be included in the conversation, Ryu reached over and knocked on the bedside table. He greeted the group with a wave once everyone was facing him. Joe gave a sigh of relief and sat down on the edge of the bed while Shiden and Hayate sat down in the chairs.

"I was worried for no reason," he observed. A small smile appeared on Ryu's face, and Joe was curious even though he had an idea about why his son was smiling. "Are you alright?"

 _'I have never been better. I had managed to stop a murder this time,'_ he signed. There was a stunned silence before Joe smiled and threw an arm around Ryu's shoulders.

"That's great, Ryu! I am so proud of you," Joe declared. It wasn't rare when Joe said that he was proud of something, but every time he did it made Ryu feel as if everything was okay. The pain in his chest was nothing compared to the relief he felt at the moment. He's alive, but the thing that's really important is that he saved a life. _Things are looking up for once,_ he thought.

"I would say that it's about damn time, but I can tell that you have been working hard to get to that point," Shiden joined in. Hayate nodded in agreement and gave Ryu a thumbs up.

"How did you figure it out?" Joe questioned. Ryu stared at the floor while he thought about where to start. His father already knew about the voice and the shadow-figure, so he decided start at the beginning of the dream and go from there. He didn't get that far into his explanation when Joe stood up quickly.

"I can't believe the doctors and nurses were bribed into doing this," he cut in. "I'm going to make sure that hospital is shut down and everyone is arrested!"

"That could be arranged if we send an Intel team to find some evidence," Shiden offered. Joe nodded then motioned for Ryu to continue. After he finished recounting the dream without any more interruptions, Joe told him to go get dressed then meet them in the Intel Department later.

Ryu was ready in thirty minutes, dressed in a white, short-sleeved shirt with dark blue jeans and black shoes. His hands were thinly wrapped since they were healing like the rest of his scars usually do. There wasn't much he could with the stitches on his forehead, so he didn't bother it, placed his phone in his pocket, and left his temporary room.

Surprisingly, Hayate was sitting at the kitchen counter and eating some donuts. He slid the box over to Ryu, who grabbed one and pulled a mug out of a nearby cabinet. He finished eating the donut then poured himself a cup of coffee. He sat down across from Hayate and grabbed another donut. Hayate sighed to himself for some reason, making Ryu stare at him suspiciously.

"Do you ever feel like things are happening way too fast?" Hayate quietly wondered.

Ryu thought about it while he drank some of his coffee. He knew there was more to the question than what Hayate said-he just had to convince him to talk about it. _'Sometimes.'_

"Well...never mind, forget I asked."

Ryu frowned and raised an eyebrow. Ever since he met him, Ryu knew that the last thing Hayate did was drop a subject. Something was bothering Hayate, and Ryu wasn't going to leave it alone. _'What is wrong, Hayate?'_ he signed. Hayate shook his head, so Ryu continued, _'Something is obviously wrong, yet you won't tell me about it. You helped me when I had problems, now I'm going to help you. Tell me, Hayate.'_

After a few minutes of silence, Hayate gave up. "There's a lot happening right now, and I don't know what's next. So many things have happened, I kind of feel like I'm growing up too fast."

 _'I want to agree, but I can not since these scars forced me to grow up at a young age.'_

"I know, but don't you wish that you could go back and change things? There are so many things I could have done a different way."

 _'I used to, but something changed the way I saw everything. A few days ago, I realized that I have witnessed-and felt-more terrible things than anyone else would in his or her lifetime. After all of the scars and bruises, I am still alive, so I decided to stop worrying about what I could not prevent and work harder to stop it next time it happened. Do not sit there and wish you could change things, those actions will define you and you are wasting time that could be spent doing better things.'_

While Hayate reflected on Ryu's advice, Ryu stood up and placed his mug in the sink. He doesn't know if he helped Hayate or not, but he hoped he was able to provide some insight. _I had to come to terms with stuff a long time ago,_ Ryu thought, taking out a conveniently located coffee cup with a lid. He poured coffee into it then added some cream and sugar. Ryu quietly moved to stand in front Hayate, who seemed calmer than he was before.

"Thank you for the wise advice, Ryu."

 _'Anytime. When are we supposed to go to the Intel Department?'_

Hayate shrugged and picked up a donut. "My father said they'll be there at noon. Wait," he glanced at his phone, "We're ten minutes late."

Ryu tensed and stared at Hayate, who was staring at his phone with wide eyes. _Oh no,_ Ryu thought. His father didn't like it when Ryu was late for something without a good excuse, and Ryu knew there was no point in trying to come up with one. Hayate placed his phone back in pocket then stared back at Ryu. Not hesitating for a moment, both boys rushed out of the door and ran down the hall.

...

Meanwhile, things weren't going as planned in the Intel Department. The team was being stubborn and kept asking unnecessary questions, much to Shiden's annoyance. Joe was surprisingly patient with them although he seemed to be worried about something else. Shiden was busy arguing with someone when Ryu and Hayate suddenly ran through the electronic sliding doors. Each boy took a moment to rest then stood up completely to look at the others in the room.

"Sorry we're late," Hayate apologized, breaking the awkward silence. The cup in Ryu's hand caught Hayate's attention, making him realize that Ryu didn't leave the cup behind like he thought. "Did you spill any of that?"

Ryu shook his head and looked around the room. There wasn't a view of the skyline, but there were three paintings hanging along the white wall. There were two black doors on the left side, and a set of black double-doors on the right. A large black table was in the center with green chairs surrounding it. Six people-four men and two women-were sitting down across from Shiden and Joe. Four of them were busy doing things on their laptops, not paying attention to the interruption. One man, who had brown hair and blue eyes, stood up to get a better view of Ryu and Hayate.

"Okay, I recognize Shiden's son," the man stated. "But I don't know him," he finished, pointing at Ryu. Ryu sighed and drank his coffee. _I do not know you either,_ he absently thought.

"He's my son, you idiot. His name is Ryu," Joe informed. The man stepped away from the table and walked over to Ryu, who didn't understand why the man seemed so suspicious.

"What? You can't be serious," the man disagreed, returning to his spot. The other five were also gazing at Ryu as if they have never seen him before, and Joe groaned loudly.

"I have no reason to lie to you, Adrian."

"Let's test that claim," Adrian suggested. He had a mischievous expression, and Ryu was beginning to wonder why the man was staring at him strangely. Joe didn't say anything else; he just leaned back in his chair and waited for Adrian's test. Ryu finished his coffee and was going to throw the cup away, but he was distracted by the glass object that was flying in his direction.

Without thinking about it, Ryu caught the object and threw it back. It came very close to Adrian's head, fortunately it went past him and hit the wall, shattering into tiny pieces. _That was a waste of my time,_ Ryu complained. He sat next to his father and tried to ignore the shocked stares that were aimed at him. Joe was smirking while both Shiden and Hayate were trying not to laugh too loud.

"Now that you have learned to not throw things at Ryu, I want to get to the reason behind why we're sitting here," Joe declared, becoming serious again. "I need you all to see if you can find any suspicious records on the workers from Hospital."

"Why? I thought this was about H.W.R.N," one woman guessed. She had long blonde hair and brown eyes just like the other woman, so Ryu figured that they were twins.

"They were involved in something that H.W.R.N. had done, so we need whatever you all can find," Shiden answered.

"What are you going to do about the potential locations?" she questioned.

"Shiden and I are forming a team in order to investigate in a few weeks. Out stuff should be ready around that time," Joe replied. Adrian nodded then asked Joe and Shiden what Ryu and Hayate were going to do while they were gone.

 _'I am going,'_ Ryu joined in. Joe scowled and turned to Ryu.

"Hell no! Just because you're going to finish this school year online doesn't mean that you can push that aside," Joe informed.

 _'I can have all of those assignments done in a few days. Besides, that's not the real reason behind why you want me to stay here.'_

"This is too dangerous. Shiden and I will deal with it from here."

 _'I need to be there. I can handle it!'_

"Damn it, Ryu! They could kill you. You need to understand that some things in this world are worse than what you thought they could be! Trust me on this."

Ryu frowned and directed his gaze to the broken glass on the floor. He wanted his father to understand why he should be allowed to come, but Joe was stubborn about certain things. He stood up and rubbed the back of his neck, taking a deep breath in the process. He was going to accept his father's wishes when the woman who spoke earlier gasped and quickly covered her mouth.

Ryu didn't have to look up to know that the members of the Intel Department were currently staring holes into his arms. _I forgot about those scars,_ he thought while letting his arm fall to his side. The room suddenly became uncomfortable, and he had the urge to leave and avoid this moment. _Avoid_ , he constantly repeated in his mind as his hands subconsciously formed fists.

The more he thought about it, the more Ryu realized that he always tried to avoid problems like this. It hurts knowing that once people see his scars, they won't look at him the same way. His anger was starting to form although he had no idea what was causing it. He could hear his father's voice as he walked towards the doors, but he didn't know what was being said. _I think I am losing it,_ he admitted to no one.

 _'Seven years,'_ Ryu began, turning to face his father. _'It has been seven years since I truly saw the world as a good place. I lost my childhood because of those murderers, I have every right to be there when they pay for their crimes! I know that they could kill me, but they had planned for me to die last night anyway! All this time I have been blaming myself for the deaths of innocent people, suffering from these scars, and refusing to let my guard down around people I care about. I am tired of it.'_

Surprised by his rant, Ryu sat down on the floor and leaned against the wall. He didn't care if he just broke down in front of people he didn't know, he could tell that they didn't know sign language. Ryu didn't move when Joe sat down across from him and pulled him into a hug. Joe sighed and ran a through his hair before breaking the silence of the now empty room.

"Ryu, I want to apologize. You've been struggling with things that you can't control, and I wasn't trying to make your decisions for you. You're my son-my only child-and I wouldn't know what to do if you got hurt when I was supposed to protect you. I didn't consider your thoughts at first because I was afraid of what would happen if you came with me and something went wrong. You are one of the strongest people I know, and I don't want you to give up on anything. We will discuss what you want to do in a few days, it can wait for now."

All of Ryu's energy was gone, but he placed a hand on his father's arm to show that he did hear him. Joe gave his son a smile and watched as Ryu finally closed his eyes. He quietly stood and picked Ryu up before carrying him back to his office.

...

 **Sorry for the late update, I had to do a lot of school stuff. Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	24. Chapter 24

Silence Brings Pain: Chapter 24

 **"** Words **"** **are for when the speaker uses the communication device.**

 _'Words'_ **still apply to Ryu, I'll just state when he's using the device. Let me know if this becomes confusing.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Over the next three days, Ryu has been doing multiple things. He completed all of the schoolwork that he had to do, so now he could focus on other stuff. The bruises on his body had finally faded and he was going to get all of his stitches removed later today. Ryu also had a very long conversation with his father about why he should be allowed to go on the mission. After many explanations and 'what if' situations, they agreed that Ryu could come as long as he doesn't make any reckless decisions.

It was currently nine o'clock in the morning and Ryu was sitting on his bed, thinking about how things have changed in a few nights. _Sleeping has never been that easy_ , he thought. There hasn't been any murders and the voice was oddly quiet. It made Ryu suspicious, but he wasn't going to worry about it since it was all coming to an end.

 _So many things could go wrong._ He was nervous, but he wasn't going to let his doubts stop him from doing the right thing. He was getting bored with doing nothing, so he put on a shirt and left his room. It was quiet as he walked into the kitchen and started cooking himself something to eat. He was in the middle of making a ham and cheese omelet when someone knocked on the door. He didn't move from his spot since the door was slowly opened by Hayate, who was wearing a red shirt with gray sweatpants.

"Good morning," Hayate greeted. He was going to ask Ryu about why he still walking around in his pajamas when he noticed something else. "I didn't know that you could cook."

Ryu shrugged and flipped the omelet before he turned to Hayate. _'It is just one of the many things my father taught me.'_

Hayate nodded and sat down at the kitchen island. He yawned then shook his head when he saw Ryu's raised eyebrow. "I was up all night finishing the rest of my schoolwork."

Ryu sat down across from Hayate and started eating his omelet. Hayate was watching with a sly expression, typing something on his phone every few minutes. Unable to ignore Hayate's actions, Ryu pushed his mostly-eaten omelet to the side and stared at Hayate. _'You are hiding something from me.'_

Surprise could be seen on Hayate's face before he sighed and attempted to deny Ryu's statement. Ryu didn't believe him, but he chose to let it go and finished his omelet. _I will find out about it later,_ he claimed. Hayate was in the middle of talking about what he saw on the news when Ryu's phone suddenly vibrated. It was on the countertop near Hayate, who picked it up and passed it to Ryu.

[Dad]-I hope you're not doing anything, because I need you to come to R&D, it's on the second floor. There's something here for you.

[Ryu]-Are you planning something?

[Dad]-That's confidential information.

[Ryu]-I'll be there.

Ryu was curious about why his father wouldn't answer his question, but he knew there was no point in trying to get an answer. Hayate gave him a knowing look and left the room. After cleaning up the kitchen, Ryu went to his room and took a shower. Thirty minutes later, he was wearing a white shirt and black sweatpants with black shoes. After putting his hair in its usual ponytail, Ryu left his father's office and went to the second floor.

...

It was quiet while Ryu walked to the R&D Department. He passed a couple of empty training rooms, noticing the glass wall that was for outside observation. Some of the agents were also rushing pass him, possibly preparing for their own missions. His father was standing at the end of the long hallway, talking to a woman. As Ryu got closer, he realized that the woman was Miss Hamilton, who seemed more surprised than anyone else.

"Ryu, it's good to see you! I didn't know that Joe was your dad," she admitted. "Anyway, let's get this over with so we can get to the fun part!"

As much as he wanted to know how long his science teacher has secretly been an agent, Ryu was led through the large double doors. Hayate and Shiden were standing on the other side of the doors, waiting for Joe to explain what they were going to do. Shiden's stare went from bored to curious when he saw Ryu, who was getting his stitches removed at the table that was in the center of the room.

"So you decided to let him come with us?" Shiden asked.

"Yes," Joe answered, walking to the table. "Ryu was being too damn stubborn, but we managed to come to an agreement."

Hayate laughed until Ryu lightly punched him in his arm. Shiden joined Joe at the table and continued, "I'm sure that's just one of the personality types that came from your influence."

 _That could be true,_ Ryu thought. Now that he thought about it, his father was a temperamental person, and Ryu would often find himself reacting to things like his father would. He knew that his father had a large influence on his life, but Ryu didn't know that it applied to his personality, too. _It makes sense though._ He directed his attention to the two boxes Miss Hamilton placed on the table. Shiden thanked her then faced Hayate and Ryu.

"Ryu and Hayate, since you two are going on the upcoming mission," he started, "Joe and I decided to make you official members of the Agency. Otherwise, it would be illegal and we could go to jail or something."

"Don't worry, nothing happens without our approval," Joe added, passing each boy a box.

Ryu hesitated for a few seconds before he reached over and opened the box. Inside, there was a thin object made of stainless steel with a screen on it. After he put it on his right wrist, it automatically adjusted to fit and was only an inch wide. His name was printed in the metal along with a dragon symbol. Ryu curiously touched the screen, making it turn on and display the current time and date across the top. _It is so lightweight,_ he thought while he moved his wrist.

"This is cool," Hayate declared. "What is it?"

"It's called an ID band and is mainly for identification purposes, but there are some places around here that won't allow you to enter without one," Joe answered.

"We also had to upgrade our security system after that bomb was left here. If you need to remove it, hold a finger over the symbol that's next to your name," Shiden joined in. Miss Hamilton strolled back over to the table with four smaller boxes in her hands. She gave out each one then pressed a button on the table, activating the projector in the middle of the table.

"After a year of doing a lot of work, R&D finally created the perfect communication device," she glanced at Shiden and Joe. "These have been ready for months now, but your team will be the first to use them."

"What is this, Lisa?" Joe asked, examining the box. Lisa paused to stare at him then sighed and kept talking.

"If you all would open the box, you'll see a slightly curved bar that has circular ends. There is also a small, circular earpiece in the box, but don't worry about that. Now, turn on your ID band and select the box that says Comm."

Ryu's eyes widened when a light green color started glowing from his bar. Hayate's color was blue, Joe's was red, and Shiden's was white. Lisa smiled, pleased to know that there weren't any flaws in her experiment. She cleared her throat to get their attention.

"The bar is supposed to be placed on your temple, and the earpiece can be placed in either ear. Instead of talking, now you can use your thoughts to communicate! Just touch the earpiece and think," she finished, motioning for them to try it out.

A moment later, Hayate decided to be the first person to try it. **"** This is epic, **"** he said.

 **"** It works, **"** Shiden informed. Joe gave a thumbs up and turned to Ryu, who was staring at his earpiece. Joe simply placed an arm on Ryu's shoulder and gently squeezed it, silently urging him to try the device. Ryu nodded and placed the earpiece in his ear, choosing to give it a shot.

 _'This is weird,'_ he stated. The other three had shocked expressions, causing Ryu to nervously lean back in his chair. _'What?'_

 **"** You sound weird. I can't explain it, **"** Joe informed. Hayate and Shiden agreed, then Joe turned to Lisa. Ryu didn't fully understand, but he pushed the thought aside when Joe spoke. "Will the agents who don't have a bar still be able to remain in contact?"

"Yes. They can still hear you although they will have to talk when they respond," she replied. Joe nodded and motioned for the rest of the group to follow him after he exchanged farewells with Lisa. They were walking pass some empty training rooms when Ryu, who was at the back of the group, suddenly stopped in front of one. He held a finger up to his earpiece then looked at Hayate.

 _'Let's spar, Hayate,'_ Ryu suggested. Hayate nodded and followed Ryu into the training room. Shiden and Joe stared at each other in confusion before they went in after the two boys. Ryu and Hayate removed their bars and earpieces along with their ID bands.

Joe and Shiden sat down on the floor and watched as Ryu wrapped his hands and Hayate cracked his knuckles. Hayate removed his shoes and stood across from Ryu, who was already barefoot.

"I guess you don't mind getting your ass kicked again," Hayate taunted.

 _'I doubt if you can pull it off,'_ he signed, getting into his fighting stance. After Hayate got into his stance, they shared a knowing look and waited for someone to make the first move.

Ryu ducked in order to dodge Hayate's sudden roundhouse kick and used his forearm to block a punch. _Damn,_ he thought while wiping his mouth with the back of his hand after Hayate hit him. He was blocking most of Hayate's punches when one completely missed his head, giving Ryu the chance to flip Hayate over. Once he hit the floor, Hayate tried to sweep Ryu's feet from under him although Ryu jumped away at the last second. _That was close,_ he thought as Hayate stood back up.

Ryu quickly hit Hayate in his stomach and followed up with a side kick although Hayate sidestepped it. The sparring match continued with each boy managing to hit the other although neither one had an advantage. They stepped away from each other for a few seconds to search for some type of opening. Hayate looked as if he suddenly had an idea, and Ryu shifted in anticipation. _Something isn't right._

Hayate's left hand tensed before he swung, making Ryu lift his right arm up to block it. Hayate took this as his chance to hit Ryu with his right hand, but Ryu swiftly pushed the hand down and countered with a punch to Hayate's chest, effectively knocking him down. While Hayate took a moment to catch his breath, Ryu sat down next to him.

"That was interesting," Shiden commented.

"Enhanced clairvoyance," Joe mumbled.

"What are you talking about?"

"Ryu. I think he knew what Hayate was going to do before it happened, so he used it to his advantage," he explained. Shiden nodded in understanding and stood up to stretch.

Meanwhile, Ryu and Hayate were still on the mat, staring at their bruises. Ryu had one on his left jaw and a few on his forearms along with a busted lip. There were some bruises on Hayate's arms and he also had one on his chest and stomach. Hayate sat up and rubbed his arm. "I thought I was going to win with that move."

 _'I can not explain, but I knew what you were going to do. It was a smart move though.'_

"Thanks. Now I know that my partner can handle himself and have my back at the same time," he continued, laughing.

 _'Whatever, Hayate. As an official agent, I can not have an incompetent partner. Good job.'_

Hayate stared at Ryu as if he was offended before he laughed again. Ryu shook his head and put his shoes on while Hayate stood up. While they were shaking hands, Hayate smirked and met Ryu's stare. "We got this, Ryu."

With a smirk of his own, Ryu lifted his free hand. _'Of course we do.'_

...

 **I would've updated this sooner, but some parts took forever and I went to see Batman v. Superman. Thanks for reading. Reviews would be awesome!**


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